Camp Chaos
by megmeg999
Summary: After being put on probation, the Boys are forced to spend six months alone with their counterparts as Parole Officers. How will the most sadistic of the trio, Brick, handle being stuck alone with no one but kids and Blossom? Original pairings! RxR!
1. Chapter 1: Court Date

_Who ever said that bad couldn't be hot? Here's three examples for you. Their names are Brick, Butch, and Boomer. The invention of a sad, twisted, villainous monkey named Mojo Jojo. But this story isn't about him. This is about the Boys. Going by the name of Rowdyruff, the Boys have been messing with Townsville since they were five. They're just about eighteen now, legal adults, with lots of legal problems. That's where this story starts. Another bite in the ass from karma, that's the Boys had to deal with._

"Court is now in session. All rise for the honorable Judge Mason."

The court rose to greet the judge as he walked in. When he motioned for everyone to sit, they did, waiting anxiously for the judge to comment. He sighed, looking over the three boys now sitting in the defendant seats, their future in his hands. Judge Mason intertwined his fingers and leaned forward on his stand. "Now, Brick, Butch, and Boomer Jojo. You're in court because you were accused of destroying half of the city in attempt to play your sadistic games with the Powerpuff Girls. In doing so, you caused nearly twenty million dollars in damage to the city, as well as City Hall. How do you plea?"

The Boys all stared at the judge, smirking a bit. In perfect unison, they said, "Guilty, your honor."

The judge looked up from the case file, eyes huge with surprise. "You plead guilty?" The Boys nodded. "Well, um, good. Then this should go smoothly. Well, it says you're being tried as juveniles. Is that so? You're all of the age of eighteen, correct?"

Their attorney stood, fixing his grey suit. "Yes, your honor. They are. But they were seventeen when the case was created and the trial was set. They've only recently reached the age of eighteen the other day. Less than forty eight hours ago."

The judge looked through more papers. "And it says they've made a deal with the district attorney? A guilty plea for community service?"

"Yes, your honor," the Boys' attorney said, nodding. "Six months community service is the usual time limit for state property damage to minors. Is that not the rule here in Townsville? The boys have agreed to do the six months and plead guilty if they be tried as juveniles and not sentenced prison time."

He looked over to the DA. "Is this agreement true? Was it settled on?"

The DA stood up, adjusting his tie. "Yes, your honor. It was settled upon Friday night."

"And you make no arguments about this?"

"No, your honor."

Judge Mason glanced back at the Boys, all were staring straight forward, unafraid or even fazed in the least. "Well, it would appear you boys are very lucky," he remarked, frowning deeply at them. "Too lucky if you ask me. But six months was agreed upon. So, you boys are sentenced to six months community service _of my choosing_. You will work on a series of community projects, each one different from your brother. I'll have a list drawn up for you. You three are not allowed to work on the same community service project, and must stay by your guardian at all times during the projects. Check in and out each day. Should you break any of the service rules or the court rules I've listed, you will be sentenced to a term of three years in prison. Your fate is in your own hands. Should one fail to, um, _respect the laws_, the other two will not suffer the consequences." He banged the gravel. "Case closed."

"All rise," the bailiff said and everyone stood as the judge proceeded out.

When the judge was gone, everyone walked out, slowly but surely. I watched as the Boys shook hands with their attorney. Brick said, "Thanks, man. You saved us big time."

The smart aleck tone in Brick's "thank you" irritated the attorney, but he didn't comment. "No problem, boys. You better get your act together. This was cute at age five, but you're adults now. You'll be spending a lot of time in a cell by yourself if you don't get with it and stop acting like you're five."

Nodding, but not really hearing, the attorney shook off their ignorance and started packing up his things. The DA walked over to the three of them, briefcase in hand. "Hello, boys. Mr. Anderson." The District Attorney shook hands with the Boys' attorney, Mr. Anderson. "Well, I must say, you three are very lucky, boys." He handed the attorney papers. "The community service list for each boy and the name and information of their probation officers."

Brick snatched the papers from the DA, looking them over as his brothers did so as well, reading over his shoulders.

**Brick Mojo - Age 18**

**Community Service Requirements:**

** -Three months at Camp Mohawk for Kids. **

** -Three months working for Mayor as a mail clerk. **_**No Pay.**_

**Time of Service Starts- June 16 at 6 a.m. Bus leaves at **_**sharp**_**. Should he fail to miss the bus, he shall be sent straight to prison for obstruction of justice. **

**Parole Officer: Blossom Utonium**

Brick nearly fainted when he saw the name of his so-called "Parole Officer". His brothers broke out into laughter, nearly tipping over. Self-proclaimed leader look absolutely petrified. His eyes met mine, anger making them practically glow.

If you haven't guessed yet, my name is Blossom, Blossom Utonium to be exact. I'm an eighteen year old superhero and now the parole officer of my super villain counterpart. Normally, most people would be scared by the look he gave me. I, on the other hand, was ready to start laughing. This was going to be an interesting six months.

Brick flew over to me, towering over my 5'04" height by a lot. He was only about a foot taller, but he feels like a giant compared to me, especially when anger was consuming him. Brick loomed over me, looking menacing. "You are kidding me, right? I'm supposed to be stuck with you for six months?"

"Sounds like a great time. I'll bring nail polish. We can paint each other's toes."

His eyes glowed with fury. But it only made me smirk all the more. He just watched me, not even caring that my sisters were behind me, ready to attack him should he try hurting me. The bailiff and guards charged at him, ready to take him in to jail. But they all froze at my raised hand, ordering them to stop. Unsure what I was doing, they just watched. However, my only purpose was that I wasn't about to let them get hurt when Brick was this crazy. Best to let him cool down.

Brick kept staring, his eyes slowly dimming. He waited for me to say something, but I never did. What surprised me though, was the look that crossed his face. I couldn't quite understand it and that was saying something. I'm quite brilliant for my age and for people in Townsville in general, but that look was just something that completely threw me.

He stared, but there was a change in his eye and that emotion I couldn't pinpoint vanished. He took a step back and then turned to walk to his brothers. The guards and I exchanged a look and then they went back to their posts. Brick's brothers looked just as confused.

My sister Bubbles looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Um, what was that?"

"Blossom just used her sex appeal to get Brick to back off." I smacked Buttercup on the arm and she whined. "What, it's true! You were like doing some mental shit that really made him back down."

"I didn't mess with him. He cooled down, simple as that."

My sisters just shrugged and started for the door as I trailed behind them. Looking over my shoulder at the Boys, I saw that Brick was watching me, an unsure expression on his face. What on earth had been going through his mind?

Boomer spared a glance at his brother, following his gaze to me before nodding a hello and pulling Brick's attention to their attorney.

And this was the day that changed everything I ever knew. The first day of my alternate reality.

**A/N: I know I said I would post this next week, but my friend and I are rather eager to get this one posted, she's been bugging me to read this for weeks. So hope you all enjoy it as much as she does. :D **


	2. Chapter 2: The Morning After

It'd been nearly two days since the trial, and it was the day the Boys probation was to begin. I stood outside the doors of Townsville City Hall, checking off everything listed on my clipboard. I was the head of the camp counselors for this stay over summer group. A quaint little camp by the lake, about twenty miles outside the city limits, camp Mohawk was the children of Townsville's favorite summer camp.

I was dressed in the camp attire required, wearing the camp counselor's shirt in pink, thankfully the color for the girls this year, and some khakis shorts. They fit me nicely, if I do say so myself. The male counselors all looked me over as the passed, murmuring to each other about how this would be a good summer. As if they were really that lucky.

Going around, carefully checking each child and counselor off the list, I had narrowed it down to only one missing person. No surprise to see the name. "Dammit, where is Brick?" I muttered to myself.

"Looking for me?" a husky voice said behind me, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin.

I whirled around, damn near running into Brick in the process. Shit, I hadn't anticipated him being that close to me. Stumbling back a foot or so, I was quick to regain my poise and nodded. "Good, you're here. Just barely, but actually, on time for the first day. Excellent."

I couldn't help but look him over, taking notice of the khaki pants and jade green button down he wore. "I hate this uniform. It's fucking stupid. I hate green," he muttered.

Trying with all my might not to laugh, I couldn't stop a slight giggle that had slipped out. "I've noticed." Something was off with him though, something not quite right with his appearance. Then, it suddenly hit me. "Did you cut your hair?"

Brick ran his fingers through his now short, spiky red hair. It went from past his shoulder to a mere two inches overnight. "They made me cut it. Said these kids would be grabbing at it and it will piss me off. That's apparently against the rules for me."

I couldn't help watch him. This was a new look for him, something I'd never seen in the thirteen years I'd known him. The new do added something to Brick, a more adult feel to his appearance. But I never realized how dark his hair was. Rather than the dark auburn hair he had, it was a more cherry red color now. It made his expressions and everything about him darker, more intense. Though, it could be the pent up anger building inside him. But Brick did look handsome with the powerful feel he gave off.

"What are you staring at?" he asked curtly.

Snapping back into reality, I hadn't realized I'd been staring so intently. "Nothing."

"You were thinking about how sexy I am, weren't you?" he teased, though there was a certain arrogant undertone to his question.

"Was not!"

Brick crossed his arms, looming over me again as he practically pressed against me. "You are a bad liar, you know that?"

Glaring up at my stubborn counterpart, I pushed him back a little. He stumbled, smirking at my defensiveness. It was a sign of weakness to him and he loved being able to see me weak. Not that I was ever weak in his presence, but I digress. "Don't get fresh with me. I'm your parole officer. You piss me off. You spend three years in jail. So be good."

There was a trace of seriousness in my comment. However, for the most part, both he and I could see they were empty words. Nevertheless, it was enough to make him drop it. Holding his hands up in surrender, Brick nodded. "Fine, whatever you say, boss. What do you want me to do?"

I didn't look up from the clipboard, trying to find some excuse not to meet his eyes. "Take the bags from the kids and load them on the bus."

Without another word, Brick walked away, following the orders I had given him. I waited a moment, careful not to make an idiot of myself again. Collecting my thoughts, I finally forced myself to sneak a peek at him. He was snatching bags from the ground, an irritated look painted on his face as he worked, undoubtedly displeased about his community service assignment.

Brick looked up, meeting my eyes. I didn't look down though, pretending I was merely observing his effort. Seeming uninterested, he went back to work, carrying the six bags like they were nothing to the bus.

We all loaded into the bus a few minutes later. I took roll call and then settled myself for the half hour bus drive when I finished. The best way to withstand the agonizing bus rise? Music. I put in my earbuds and tried to ignore everyone. My job was done for half an hour. Now it was time for other members to do their part and babysit.

As the bus began its course to the camp, I stared out the window, letting the sound of classical music soothe and relax me. That is, until I felt the seat creak under me. "Hey, Pinky," Brick said.

Pausing the music on my iPod, I turned to glare at him. "Don't call me that, jailbird. What are you doing here?"

"Probation, remember?" Please, as if I'd forget. How could I forget the reason I was stuck with this guy?

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. His sarcasm would grow to be quite irritating, very fast. "You know what I mean. Why are you sitting next to me? Don't you have a five year old to go pick on?"

The scowl I'd just given him was quickly returned to me, though at a more intense level. "You think I want to be here at all? I'm on goddamn probation. I'm stuck with you. I'm not allowed to leave your side. I've got a fucking police bodyguard with me."

Jabbing his thumb at the window, I looked over and saw a blue sedan sitting behind the bus, a man in police uniform behind the wheel. I suppose it was smart. It _was_ the only guarantee they had that he actually fulfilled all the requirements he was given. Didn't mean I liked that he was now forced to be the puppy dog I never wanted.

Sighing, deeply aggravated, I shoved my earbuds back into my ears. I then blasted my music, praying it would be loud enough to block out whenever Brick decided to gripe again. Thankfully, he was silent, having earbuds on as well and ignored me for nearly the entire time.

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV: <em>

I sat beside my red-haired counterpart in silence, trying as hard as I could not to look at her. But, if I wanted to be honest, I found it quite challenging. I couldn't help but sneak a peek at her, looking over those milky legs she had crossed or how the shorts lifted a bit when she shifted, setting off dozens of sexual fantasies in my head that should have never been.

I don't know when it started, maybe the other day in the court room, when she just watched me as I stared her down, nearly ready to fight her. I had noticed something in her that day, the way she had a pretty decent smile. Okay, pretty decent smirk, but it was still nice to look at. The way she didn't back down when I practically loomed over her. Or the way she showed no fear of me. Blossom was a challenge to me. And did I love a good challenge.

But I couldn't quite pinpoint an exact name for the feelings I had for my counterpart. She was my enemy, so I couldn't like her. I sure as hell didn't _love_ her. But I did feel something, lust maybe. I couldn't help getting hard just thinking about the way that shirt hugged her body in all the right places. Or how she walked, her hips swaying slightly, a walk that screamed of confidence and self-respect.

I had to admit this to myself: I was _lusting_ over Blossom. She was tall, slim, long legged, and curvy in every perfect way. She was too sexy for her own good. I couldn't deny that. Her long auburn curls framed her face too flawlessly. Gay men would go straight for her, that was a given. Of course, I'd never actually voice these thoughts. Not even in a million years.

But it wasn't the only thing I noticed of her. Sure, about eighty percent of what I felt for her was sexual desire. Another ten was hate, anger of how she was pure good. The evil side of me just loved torturing her. As it always had since we were five. But, the last ten percent . . . I don't know . . . could it be actual respected or cared for the girl? I rarely cared for anyone. Mostly my brothers, and even then . . . why would I suddenly care or respect for someone so . . . good? A Powerpuff girl, of all people.

When I thought she wasn't looking, I snuck a peek at her, grateful for the fact I had a height advantage over her and a perfect angle of her partially unbuttoned polo shirt. But even now, having a view of her that most men would kill for, I couldn't help notice the way she lip-sang to the music she played on her iPod or the way she tapped her fingers on her knee, keeping in perfect beat with the music playing. Some pop song. And I just watched, admiring how she was so calm, being able to hear her smooth, even heart beat like it was my own. Maybe it was the counterpart thing, I don't know. A connection we all had to our partner. But what if it wasn't? What could I be feeling then?

She shifted and for a second I feared she might catch me observing her. But Blossom merely looked down at her iPod, skipping to the next song, before returning her gaze to the passing trees out the window. I looked down, trying to catch a glimpse of the song that she listened to. The finger tapping had stopped, and she just breathed deeply, letting the song engulf her every thought. Blossom's hand shifted a bit, giving me a better view. **I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace.** I blinked, looking at the title again. I had seen it right. There was a comment listened for the song, _Best song EVER!_ And a rating of five stars. This was her favorite song?

I stared down at my own iPod, looking at the song I had previously been listening to. The same title listed, five star rating, and a comment verbatim to hers. How was that possible?

This revelation was just too strange for even me. Considering my origins, not to mention how Townsville was, I was pretty used to strange. I was so focused on this that I nearly jumped out of my skin when Blossom nudged my arm, pulling me out of my thoughts. Meeting her eyes, I saw genuine worry in them. "Hey, Brick, you okay? You looked a little freaked."

It took me a moment to register what she had actually said. When the words finally clicked, I managed to nod. "Yes, I'm fine."

There was an obvious look on her face, one that said she didn't believe me. But she dropped it and slipped the ear bud back into her ear, enjoy the music again.

Staring forward, I tried processing the odds of her and I having the same favorite song with the same comment word-for-word. I came to the conclusion that it was not very likely. What did that mean for us?

"_Us? Come on, Brick. You're you, and she's a Powerpuff Girl. There is no 'us'," _I thought, frowning darkly at the back of the seat in front of me. As I thought about it, I realized I was being stupid. The voice in my head was right. There was nothing between Blossom and I. There never would be. It was a mere coincidence. A counterpart connection. Butch and Boomer had the same coincidences with their counterparts . . . right?

* * *

><p>I felt uncomfortable the entire ride to camp. I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching me. Okay, I had the feeling of Brick watching me. But he hadn't. I was sure of it. He hated me too much to even glace my way more than a few seconds when I asked if he was alright, him having looked a little peaked.<p>

Brick stuck close to me as we unloaded the bus, not looking too thrilled about it. Slowly but surely, the kids gathered their bags and then went to their designated cabins. And then we counselors were able to actually unpack for ourselves. I grabbed my duffel bag and backpack, staring down at my PDA as I called to Brick. "Hey! Jailbird, grab your stuff. I'll show you to the cabin."

I could practically feel his glare. "Yes, Miss Smart Ass."

Looking up to comment, he startled me by being right beside me again, bags in hand. Much to my chagrin, I actually jumped back, surprised. "Oh, um, good. Keep the cursing curved. These are kids all under the age of ten. Okay?"

Not seeming too pleased about it, based on the dramatic eye roll, he nodded. "Yes, sergeant. Let's get to the cabin. I'm tired as fuck."

"Again with the cursing?" He just stared, uncaring. "Fine, let's go. We all get two hours to sleep before activities begin. So get right to napping."

Brick followed behind me, keeping silent as we walked to the counselors' cabins. It wasn't a far walk from the lake where we met up. I couldn't help was get this fantasy in my head, of Brick sleep walking late at night . . . and accidentally walking into the lake. I wouldn't have been too disappointed if it happened. But I did feel bad for thinking it. Curse my good-natured, caring soul.

I tapped the door of his cabin. "Male counselors here. I'll be in the one next door."

Brick frowned, though I knew it was just dramatics. "What, don't you love me enough to bunk with me? What happened to painting each other's nails all night?"

I blinked in surprise. He actually remembered that comment? _I barely remembered making that comment!_ Crossing my arms, a remarkable feat considering my hands were full, I leered at him. "Sorry, bub. You're not lucky enough to bunk with me. You got the longest straw." I rolled my eyes, watching as he started to smirk. "Guys can't bunk with girls. So, have fun sleeping with the guys! See you in two hours."

And I walked away, leaving him to sort through all he had to about rooming for himself.


	3. Chapter 3: And So It Begins

**A/N: Hey everyone, I know I just posted a chapter. But I'm home sick and bored out of my mind. So I thought I'd be nice and post a second chapter for everyone. I hope you like it! :D**

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

What is it with girls? Is it the hormones that make them bitchy? Or is it just something that they develop over the years? Whatever the case, when it came to the biggest bitch I've ever met, there was only one person that I could think of that fit the criteria . . .

"Get up, asshole!"

. . . And her name is Blossom.

I groaned, turning over in my bed to look up at her, my arm rested over my eyes to block out the harsh sunlight. "What the hell are you doing here?" I grumbled, trying to figure out how she got into my room. It took me a moment to remember where I was. Having forgotten that I was no longer in my comfortable bed, I realized we were in some rinky-dink cabin in the middle of the woods. Slumming it in the forest was not a problem for me. My only problem was her. "What the fuck do you want?"

I wasn't looking at her, but I could practically feel the harsh glares she shot at me. "Your two hours is up. Get off your ass and get ready. We got activities to supervise."

Shit, work. I'd forgotten I had to do actual work. I wasn't opposed to working, the only problems I really had were the kids. Little dogs with two legs and no leashes is more like it. That and the other problem now hovered above me, looking as if she were getting more pissed with each passing second.

"Get the fuck out of my cabin and I will." My opened my eyes finally, looking up at Blossom. Her arms were crossed, looking angrier than Butch has ever been. And he could get easily pissed. She stood over me, waiting. I could hear her foot tapping as her irritation levels rose.

"Get off your butt and move!" she snapped irritably, scowling down at me.

There was no point in defying her. I had to obey her. After all, she _did _hold the key to my future. And I felt like the biggest dumbass ever for letting myself be put in this situation. Suddenly jail felt like a happy place. "Fine, take a Pamprin pill and move. I'm getting up."

Blossom's mouth fell open in awe, my comment having pissed her off more than anything. "You're such a pain in the ass."

I wasn't in the mood to talk to her after that. I got of the bed, facing away from her, and struggled to find my shoes with closed eyes. My head was killing me already. I felt something hit my head, a soft yet firm hit, only to find it was my green camp counselor shirt.

"Might want to put that on," she said, her voice sounding odd. "I don't need the five year olds learning about the male body before they know how to write their names in cursive."

I hadn't even realized I'd been sitting around shirtless in front of Blossom for the past two minutes. Quickly putting the hideous shirt on, I stood up and turned to see her still standing there. There was a faint, nearly unnoticeable smile playing on the edge of her lips that, had I not had superior eyesight to the average human, I would not have seen it. "See something you like?"

The not-smile-smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Not from you."

"Well, it has to be me. I'm the best looking counselor here. Next to you, at least."

Immediately, I wanted to hit myself. Where had that come from? Blossom watched me in awe, her eyes huge in disbelief. Frankly, I was too. That was not the sarcastic remark I had intended to make. What the fuck, was my mouth taking on a life of its own? Why the hell would I have said that? I swore never to verbally admit I thought she was hot.

"Um . . . thank you?" she said, her brows furrowing in a rather cu-_dammit! _Not cute, not cute! We both stood there a moment, not quite sure what to say after that. I could feel my face getting hotter, embarrassment apparent on both of our faces. "Well, I'll, um, wait outside."

"Good idea."

Seeming quite stunned still, she turned and left my cabin without a word. I instantly smacked myself in the head, feeling like an utter idiot. "Why the fuck did I just say that?" I asked myself aloud.

What was it about Blossom lately that I just spat out stupid ass comments like that? I was losing my mind. Yes, that was it. I was losing my fucking mind.

* * *

><p>I could practically feel myself blushing as I left Brick's cabin. Where had that comment come from? I didn't know whether to be flattered or nervous about the fact he thought I was good-looking. Had he meant it? Brick seemed just as stunned about saying it as I had been about hearing it. Maybe he was sick. Yes, sick. He never would have said that if he hadn't been.<p>

I stood there, leaning casually against the tree across from his cabin door, waiting for him to come out. I hadn't been waiting more than two or three minutes before he finally made his way out of the cabin, red cap in hand and sunglasses on. There was a certain confidence in his walk, and I found myself staring again, just as I had this morning by the bus. I couldn't have been more thankful that Brick hadn't noticed this time.

He stopped a few feet in front of me, glaring at me through his black sunglasses. "Ready, Boss?"

The sarcasm in his voice wasn't very reassuring. This would be a _long_ day. "Let's just go. This will go smoothly if you just keep the cursing to a minimum, preferably off at all times. And you just do what you're told. Don't be an idiot, please? These kids are still actually paying attention to what adults do. They'll copy anything you do. So no showing a certain finger around either."

The dramatic eye roll wasn't comforting either. "Yes, yes. I know the rules. _I'm_ not five anymore. I am a big boy."

"Really? Then tell me why you're here again?" I asked, crossing my arms and my eyes narrowing to slits.

Brick merely rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and mirrored my pose. "Because my brothers and I tried to kill you three again. Nothing out of the ordinary."

He made it sound so simple, like it was an everyday chore. It made me wonder if he actually had any humanity in him. And I began to suspect that this wasn't a smart idea. "Right. Let's just go."

Following close behind me, I led him to the mess hall, where all the kids were gathered for their short orientation. As we entered the building, I heard Brick swear under his breath. "That's a lot of kids."

"It's only about sixty kids. There are twelve counselors. So with the two of us, it's only ten kids." Turning to him, I raised one a slender eyebrow. "We can handle ten kids."

There was a certain hesitation in his voice. "Right, of course."

"Don't tell me your scared, Brick Jojo," I said, fighting back a grin.

He glared down at me, practically burning me with his intense gaze. "Don't call me that. Mojo created me, but I have no association with him. He isn't my father. He's my creator. And I am not scared. I've been battling you and your sisters for thirteen years. And I live with two other guys. I can handle anything these kids dish out."

Brick seemed so confident of himself, but I couldn't help wanting to laugh. He thought this would be easy, ha! Wait until this actually started. Boy, was he in for a reality check. Instead, I merely smirked and returned my focus to the kids in front of us. "If you say so."

We stopped at a line of counselors, all wearing shirts matching ours. When the kids looked up at me, there was a mix of shriek of excitement and screams of terror.

"It's Blossom! I've always wanted to meet a Powerpuff girl!" one of the kids called.

"Oh no! It's Brick! He bad!" another called, followed by a shrill of terror.

Well, at least the kids were well educated. Brick stood beside me, his arms crossed behind his back, looking almost militaristic. It was quite scary when I thought about it. He was not making eye contact with anyone. I felt bad for him. He was hated from the second he even walked in, by kids of all people. Children were supposed to see past all that. But they couldn't seem to see past his history.

"Hey, it's great to see you kids. Well, you all know I'm Blossom. I'd like you to meet the counselors here. They'll be your help with everything you need." Slowly I pointed out the ten other counselors, one by one, letting each speak a little for themselves. Some kids actually paid attention, other having more interest in whether Brick was bad or cute. It wasn't looking too good for him. When the last counselor made their remarks, I quickly tried to step in. "Well, I see you all have noticed someone here that just doesn't really fit. Don't be scared, he's a good boy now. He has to be." I heard the snickers of counselors beside me, but ignored them and continued on. "I'd like to introduce my friend, Brick." I was extra careful not to say Jojo, not wanting to set him off.

Brick's eyes grew huge in surprise, not expecting me to use that particular label for him. He mouthed the word "friend" in confusion before realizing the kids had focused on him. "Oh, yes. Hi. Uh . . . I'm Brick. Hi." Having been at a loss for words he went silent again, his serious façade quickly returning.

"Right, well, Brick will be my counselor buddy. So please go to your designated counselor. I understand if you decide you feel uncomfortable being in our group. I'll have you reassigned should you feel that way."

The kids quickly gathered their stuff and went to the table where they belonged. Brick turned to me, the façade now gone, and amazement on his face. "What was that?" he asked, his voice a mixture of awe, confusion, and something I couldn't pinpoint.

"What do you mean?" I returned, turning to him.

He frowned, as if debating on whether or not to ask whatever he wanted to ask. "Friend? I . . . I didn't expect that."

"It's just to not scare the kids," I responded, wondering why I didn't like saying that. "You are a well-known villain. I can't exactly call you evil jackass in front of them. 'Friend' just seems . . . safer."

Maybe it was just me, but I swear I could see a faint bit of disappointment in his eyes. Had he actually been flattered by the label? "Of course," he said simply, the harsh, seriousness returning to his face.

He set the glasses in his pocket and followed me to the table, my guilt building up more and more with each step. Why did I say such cruel things like that? I hadn't meant them. I'd known Brick a long time, but I never _knew_ him. Sure, he didn't exactly give me the chance to. But for all I knew, the words hurt him. The look on his face certainly made me think it to be so. But then why act in the sick, sadistic jerk manner he's always done?

It surprised us both to see all ten kids had come to the table, no hesitation in their faces, though _fear_ was another thing. Brick sat between me and a small blonde girl, no more than four year old. She looked utterly frightened, and I feared she might not like him being near her. I couldn't help but hesitate a moment, to see what played out between the two. Brick watched her, forcing a small smile to appear on his face. Apparently that's all it took to win this girl over. She smiled hugely up at him and, to our _absolute_ amazement, she grabbed her worn out teddy bear and crawled into his lap, resting her head on his chest. Brick stared at me, unsure whether to be amazed, nervous, or pleased. Gawking was all I could manage, as was it for the other nine kids, jaws hanging open in awe.

"I'm Maddie!" she said in the sweetest, most innocent voice I'd ever heard.

Brick continued to watch me, unsure what to do. It took an elbow jab in the side to make him finally speak. "I'm, uh, Brick."

Making herself comfortable in his lap, she started playing with her bear, and he realized she wouldn't be leaving any time soon. When he didn't move, she grabbed his enormous hand (when compared to hers) and wrapped it around her. As if in a chain reaction, he allowed himself to relax a bit and cradled her in his arms.

Unsure how to continue after such a remarkable moment, I forced my eyes to leave the platinum blonde girl in his arms, now evidently feeling quite safe. I suppose not all kids were judgmental after all. Brick and I turned to the others, now having gotten control of their shocked states. The kids stared mostly at Brick, attempting to get an understanding of the man they once considered scary and threatening. I decided now was as good as ever a time to begin introductions.

"Well, um, it's great to see you kids. I'm Blossom, and you all seem to know Brick," I said, indicating myself then waving my hand at Brick. "Let's just get to know each other a bit. Tell me your names and something interesting about you."

"I'm Bailey!" a dirty blonde, nine year old said first. "And I'm a dancer!"

"Nick!" a short, stout boy beside her said. He practically jumped out of his seat, his shaggy brown hair bouncing around as he said, "I'm into comic books! I loved the comic books about you two!"

They made comic books of us? This was news to me.

"My turn! I'm Danielle, and I like boys." The girl who said this practically jumped out of her seat to introduce herself.

Both Brick and I couldn't help laughing at the ten year old blonde. Her exuberance was amusing, especially when she was talking. I had never heard Brick laugh before, well, unless you called the manic or otherwise evil chuckles he'd done in our previous battles. That was the first true time I'd ever heard him laugh. And to be honest, I liked it. I liked the way it made him appear more . . . humane.

"I agree with Danielle. I love boys!" A perky redhead turned her gaze on Brick, a huge grin appearing on her face as she rested on her elbows, leaning forward on the table. "Brick's cute," she blurted out then, a dreamy quality coming onto her face and her voice.

I couldn't help but start laughing at that as Brick's cheeks started turning a shade pinker than normal.

"Oh, well, thank you," he said, his voice retaking that cocky tone I've always known. "I've been telling Blossom that here for years. It's nice to see someone else notices."

"Are you and Blossom dating?" Danielle piped up, looking between the two of us.

I nearly fell out of my seat with her question. Brick's cheeks went ten times darker than they had before, and I'm sure mine had as well. "Of course not," the two of us said in sync.

There were a few ooh's and ahh's from the rest of the kids. "Then how come you're blushing?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah!" the rest said.

Brick met my eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "I've always suspected she was into me. She's just too big a scaredy cat to admit it."

I snorted at this, my blush thankfully going down like his did. "Don't listen to him. I'm into good boys."

"But you said before he was a good boy," Danielle clarified.

Brick, of course, jumped right on her train of thought. "Yeah, I thought I was a _good boy_, Blossom."

Shit, I'd completely forgotten I'd said that! Damn, these kids actually were listening. Brick's teasing was not helping either. "Well, he is. But-"

"But," Brick interrupted. "It's complicated. We're too different to like each other. It's just how things are. But we'll both agree on this. You guys are gonna have a wicked summer with us."

Throwing a thankful glance his way, his smirk grew all the more. I'd never live this down, especially from him. Why had I choked like that? I knew I didn't like him, but I still couldn't help getting nervous about their questions.

"Well, if you decide you want another redhead. I'm Rachel. Call me." And she winked, sitting back in her seat.

The others giggled a bit. I couldn't help but doing so either. Rachel couldn't have been more than ten. But Brick was nice about it at least. "I'll keep that in mind," he responded, his trademark smirk on his face.

"What about the rest of you? What are your names?" I asked, hoping to quickly change the subject.

"James!" a blonde four year old across from me yelled enthusiastically.

"Ariel," the brunette beside James said.

"Thomas," a boy identical to Ariel said in sync with her, clearly her twin. Both looked about seven.

"Jade!" the redhead beside Thomas said.

"I'm Frankie!" the last called, patting his black hair. "I love swimming!"

"Yeah!" the rest screamed in sync.

"Well, lucky for you then that we're doing that first," I said, smiling warmly at them. "Grab your things, everyone. We'll take you to the changing rooms so we can all go swimming!"

The kids cheered at my announcement and grabbed their small backpacks, some struggling to get off the bench, before they took off running for the door. Brick surprised me by carefully getting up and carrying little Maddie to the door. I had to admit Brick was actually quite charming to see him play the big brother roll. It was a side of him I'd never seen. And, to be honest, I enjoyed it.

"What are you smirking at?" he asked, having caught me, again, in my staring. Since when was he so observant?

Shrugging in response, I said, "Nothing, just nice to see you hold a kid rather than scare them."

Maddie smiled and wrapped her arms around Brick's neck, holding him tightly. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought the smirk had turned to a smile. But he quickly made me think different. "It's not exactly like I have a choice. I can't mess with them. I'm not spending three years in jail."

"Right . . . Here, give me her. I'll help her and the girls get changed. You make sure the boys actually put their swim trunks on right. Get changed too, because you're swimming also."

I couldn't help but smile at the way he seemed almost hesitant passing her to me. But without a word, he carefully shifted the girl from his right side to his left, giving me the chance to take her. "But I want Brick!" she cried.

"I'm just gonna help you get pretty for Brick. He'll be right outside waiting for you." The smile she had stretched from one ear to the other and there was no way he could hide the grin that was all too apparent on his face. "See? He's excited already."

"Bye Brick!" she called as we walked away, her chin rested on my right shoulder to get a look at him as we left.

It didn't take long to have the kids completely dressed in swimming gear and out to the lake. All were practically jumping out of their skin as we walked over. The boys were already waiting at the water's edge, letting it cover their feet. Brick was sitting on a stump about five feet away, not really watching. Not smart for a camp counselor. I'd have to reprimand him for that.

The girls all ran to the water, giggling and shrieking with glee. The sound made Brick turn my way, but not before getting a hard smack to the head. "Ouch, sh- . . . jeeze, what was that for?"

Raising an eyebrow, I gave him a look. "Yeah, you better curve that cursing. And you're supposed to be watching the boys, not be off in la-la land."

Brick shot to his feet, staring down at me with an irritated glare. I assumed he'd say something, but he closed his mouth and stepped back a bit, looking me over in full. "Nice swimsuit." And he grew pissed again, clearly not the words he was looking for.

Okay, I couldn't help but turn red at the thought that I had that effect on him. I, evidently, had more a meaning to him than either one of us had realized. Maybe it was just male hormones. After all, I was practically half naked. It was a skimpy halter top bikini, in a hot pink that contrasted nicely against my skin. But I hadn't considered the idea that _Brick_ would ever care.

I could feel his stares travel the length of my body, and suddenly I felt self-conscious, though in a good way. I liked the idea he liked my body. What the hell was I saying? It's _BRICK_! I mean, really! Maybe _I_ was the one who was sick. "Oh, um, thanks. Just keep your eyes on the kids. If someone drowns, I'm holding you responsible." And I walked away, though he only followed.

Brick managed to keep his eyes on the kids for the most part, the rest of the time he actually enjoyed the water himself. We spent about an hour or so in the lake and it was probably the most shocking moment of my life. Even more so than the time Mitch, Buttercup's ex-boyfriend, had admitted to being gay. Yeah . . . Buttercup wasn't too happy that week, but at least there wasn't a monster in Townsville that we couldn't handle! Poor Butch got a taste of that fury. For the first time in my entire life, it looked like Brick was genuinely . . . happy. And without having to hurt someone or cause damage to a city.

If I hadn't known Brick and his habits like the back of my hand, I'd say he could have potential to be . . . good.


	4. Chapter 4: Arguments

What I expected the next morning was, well, a calmer Brick. One that could curve the cursing and enjoy the camp like he had the previous day. But, unfortunately, that was not what I got.

Brick waited outside my cabin the next morning, looking more pissed than anytime I'd ever seen. He crossed his arms and I couldn't help notice the way his muscles flexed in the process. But I quickly dismissed any thoughts of him or his nice muscles. I was _not_ traveling down that road of thoughts.

"Let's go already. You're wasting my time." There was a certain sharpness in his attitude and it lit the fuse for my anger.

"Did you not sleep last night or something? Why are you so snippy?" I asked, hands on my hips. I narrowed my eyes at the irritated jerk in front of me.

He narrowed his eyes right back. "I didn't sleep, no. But I had a great night. I just hate this place so much."

He didn't sleep, but had a great night? That sounded oddly suspicious to me. I stopped walking and turned to him. His glare was growing more intense with each second. "Wait, what did you do last night that made it so great? Did you sneak off?"

"No, I didn't. I stayed here," Brick answered, rolling his eyes as if I said something stupid.

"Then what did you do?" I pressed.

"Like my personal life is any of your business! Butt out, Pinky," he snapped. The defensive tone he had was sending little red flags off in my head.

I wasn't about to let him bully me. I was the one in charge here. And I quickly let him know that by crossing my arms, authority in my stance. "What did you do?"

Why was it when he mimicked my stance I felt insignificant next to him? Maybe it was his size, because it couldn't be _him_ I was afraid of. He continued to glare down at me as he said, "Like I said, my personal life is my business. I don't question you on your life, so stay out of mine."

It was at this moment that fate decided to intervene before either of us could rip the other's throat out. Fingers traced the length of his shoulder and he actually jumped in surprise. "Hey, Bricky." Michelle, the blonde counselor I'd never been to thrilled about, came around to the front of him. She nudged me aside, but it didn't do much. I barely moved and this only seemed to anger her, but she decided to ignore me instead of try anything more physical.

"Michelle," Brick greeted her coldly. "What are you doing here?"

She rested her head on his chest, arm wrapping around his waist. "I was just coming to thank you for last night. It was really the best night I've had in years."

A sarcastic laugh escaped my lips and Michelle glowered. "Oh God. You slept with Michelle?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that? Brick likes an experienced woman," she literally growled at me. If I wasn't used to being growled at by thirty-story monsters that may have intimidated me a little.

Oh God. The remarks I could have said to that were practically burning my tongue, just begging to come out. It took all I had to be the bigger person here and keep the comments down. Keeping my face blank, I responded, "Well, I guess I'm not surprised. He always _did _strike me as the type to settle for . . . easy choices."

The scowl on her face made my cheeks hurt from the smirk I was holding back. I looked away from the blonde whore of a girl and met Brick's irritated gaze.

"Do what you want when the six months is up," I said, letting my voice become steely cold. "But when you're here, counselors and kids are off limits. Don't mess with the kids and keep it in your pants. These girls are off limits. If you decide to get diseases from her after your six months, then by all means, have at it. My job will be done. But before then, you will follow my rules, obey my orders, and not go against them. Or I'll be sure that the only ass you see will be the ones of the hairy jail mates you have in the shower."

Both Michelle's and Brick's mouths hung open in awe. They obviously had not expected I would actually speak against them in the manner I had. To be honest, I liked it. It made me feel powerful. No wonder Brick was a bossy jackass. It was a confidence booster.

Brick closed his mouth, forcing all surprise to leave his features, quickly replacing it with disdain. Michelle was less confident. She scoffed and quickly flipped from pissed to lusting. She kissed his cheek. "Bye Bricky. Call me later if you're feeling . . . defiant."

I couldn't help rolling my eyes as she walked away, wanting to laugh at the idea that she thought she was sexy, shaking her hips the way she did. Brick didn't seem interested for his eyes never left mine as her footsteps receded into nothingness. The look of hate that he gave me was so strong it practically caused me physical pain. Or maybe that throbbing in my chest was from the thrill I had gotten from telling them off, I wasn't sure.

Tilting my head, I looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "Just keep your eyes on your job and this will be easy. Stay away from the counselors. I don't care how . . . cheap or easy they are. Focus on your work."

There was no response from him, an unwilling agreement I assumed. Knowing Brick, that would be all I got from him. I didn't stand around waiting for an answer that would never happen. Instead, I turned and walked to the campground, Brick reluctantly following behind me.

The kids swarmed us as we walked into the mess hall, looking chipper and excited. Maddie, the brave heart of the group, instantly ran to Brick. She gripped at his shorts, tugging to get his attention. Expecting him to hold her as he had yesterday, he surprised us both by barely giving her a pat on the head and walking to stand behind me. It pained me to see the look of hurt and betrayal in Maddie's young eyes. After that she remained silent, standing close to my side and out of view of Brick. I threw a disgruntled glare Brick's way. But he merely shrugged it off.

"What are we doing today?" little Nick asked.

"We're going to do some crafts. Anyone want to play with clay?"

The grins that crossed their faces were so enchanting. I was praying they would make Brick smile the least bit, but my hopes were crushed by the scowl on his face, completely unfaltering. I tried to tell myself the disappointment I felt was for the kids, not myself, but I was doubting myself on that . . .

xxx

For most of the morning Brick was silent, merely sitting beside me, doing what was asked of him when needed. It wasn't until about break time that things started to get a little messy.

Danielle, Ariel, and James huddled at one end of the table, giggling and joking about some television show. After a while, the debate had spread from that end of the table to the other and all were shouting their opinions. I found it to be normal, children's usual debates. Brick, on the other hand, had found it a bit ridiculous.

"Okay, enough!" he snapped, silencing everyone. "It's a fucking cartoon, grow up! The show was cancelled ten years ago anyway. It's just reruns. Get the fuck over it."

The volume of Brick's comments scared Maddie and she was practically shaking in my lap as she curled up in my arms. I frowned at him. "Brick, stop it. You're scaring them."

His head whipped around and he glared at me. "Don't tell me what to do. I'll do whatever the fuck I please. This shit is too much. I hate kids, I hate this place, and I fucking hate _you_."

Hearing him say he hated me was nothing out of the ordinary. I'd been hearing him say it since we were children. But I refused to let him say it to these kids. They all cowered, some even starting to cry a bit. He may be a super villain and he may be a Rowdyruff, but I was _not_ going to let him talk to the children like that. Not now, not ever.

"Brick! Enough! Outside, now!" I commanded, glaring darkly at him and pointing to the door.

Without another word, he smacked his hands on the table, stood up, and ran out. Kyle, a camp counselor I'd become good friends with over the last two summers was over to my side in a second, taking Maddie from my hands. "I'll take care of them a minute. You go talk to your boy. Before I kick some serious ass."

I couldn't help smiling a little at that. "Language . . . I'll be back. Thanks, Kyle."

A small smirk formed on his lips at my need to clarify not using curse words around the kids rather than defuse a threat. I quickly flew off after Brick, giggling a bit at the gasps of amazement of the once crying kids. At least I had cheered them up. That was good. And now to find my idiotic counterpart . . .

Brick hadn't gotten far in his rampage across the campgrounds. I landed in front of him, his face damn near purple from the anger building up in him.

"What the fuck do you want?" he growled, his eyes glowing in anger.

"What the hell was that about?" I snapped, searching his angry eyes for a clue. "I should call you police buddy hiding behind the tree over there and have him throw you ass in jail for what just happened."

That only seemed to piss him off more. "You wouldn't dare!"

I crossed my arms, showing no fear. "Watch me. What the fuck did I tell you, Brick? Don't curse in front of my kids and don't mess with them. And that is exactly what you did! You made them all cry! That is _not_ what you're here to do."

Eyes still glowing in fury and hate, he snarled at me, "You're right; I'm here to work off my debt to society, because I fucked up. If you and you goddamn sisters had kept yourselves out of my business, I wouldn't have sent my brothers after you. You brought it on yourself."

"Fuck that!" I said, resisting the urge to scowl at him. "You fucked up, now you're paying for it. God, I don't see why you're complaining. You and your brothers got off easy with community service. They wanted to throw your asses in jail, no questions asked."

"You should've let them." The hesitation in his voice made me realize he didn't mean it, as I had suspected. He wouldn't have gone through all this negotiation to get community service if he hadn't.

"That's about the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

"You don't know me! So you don't know shit!" He took a step forward, our bodies mere inches apart, and he stared intensely at me. "Stay _out_ of my way, stay _out_ of my life, and stay _away_ from _me_. I hate you."

"Do you hear me objecting?" I asked innocently. "I did this shit to save your ass. I could send you to prison now if you'd like."

I watched him blink, letting my words sink in a moment. "Wait, you . . . you did what?"

"You're right about one thing. I'll give you that," I remarked, looking him square in the eye. "You _are_ here because of me. I had the district attorney settle to the agreement of you not having to go to jail in exchange for community service time. They agreed for a year, but I convinced them to wrangle it down to six months. I tried to help _you._ It backfired on me because my sisters and I got stuck babysitting you three idiots."

His anger faltered as he continued to stare into my eyes, unsure whether or not he was hearing my words correctly. "You tried to help us?" he asked, confused.

"Of course I did." For some reason, the confusion on his face looked ridiculously cute, but I pushed that thought away. "You're the sick creation of Mojo. It's not your fault you are the way you are. I wasn't about to let you suffer for that. I'm more humane than my sisters."

Brick just watched me, something conflicting inside him based on the look in his eyes. He was torn. His breath was ragged, but the color drained from his cheeks and his breathing slowly evened. After another second, the anger vanished from his features entirely and he backed away a few steps. "Thank you," he murmured.

I had never, not in a million years, expected to hear that from Brick. Eyes widening, I stared at him uncomprehendingly. "I'm sorry, what?"

"For helping us. Thank you," he said again.

I thought I was losing it. I had to be losing it. There was no way in hell that Brick would ever say that to me. Flustered, but liking the gratitude, I said, "Oh . . . well, you're welcome. I think."

Brick rubbed his temples, groaning in anger. "God, my head is killing me."

"Go lie down. I'll handle the kids." He nodded and started off but I quickly grabbed his shirt, pulling him back. "Listen, the next time you fuck up like that, I _will_ throw you ass out of here. I did this to help _you_. So you better start fucking _appreciating_ it. I risked my ass, as well as my sisters', to protect well known villains. That is the biggest risk I've ever done. I won't risk anything happening to my sisters. So if it's between you and them, that choice is obvious. Shape up or get out. I won't take any more of the shit I saw in there. You have two hours. Take some pills and rest. Then I expect you back in there getting work done. You _will_ apologize to those kids, as well. Especially Maddie. She cares about you for some insane reason. So you better make her forgive you. Got it? You were once a high and mighty villain. Now you're my responsibility. And you will do what the hell I say. Understand that?"

I thought I'd hit a nerve with the orders but to my great surprise, he only smirked, watching me with gentle eyes. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured.

Brick's gaze was smoldering and I found my breath coming heavier as he just stared at me. All the confidence and authority I had moments ago had vanished practically instantaneously, replaced by some unknown emotion inside me, and it started eating at me. What was the feeling? I couldn't identify it. My brain had stopped working, all thoughts on how hypnotizing his eyes were.

"Can . . . I have my shirt back?" he mumbled, sounding a little breathless as well.

It took me a moment to actually process what he'd said, but I managed to release my grip on his collar and step away. "Sorry, now . . . go. You heard me. Two hours, Brick. That's it." I quickly walked away then, my head buzzing with emotions I was trying to process.

Whoa, I felt dizzy after that. Where had that moment come from? That look in his eyes . . . it haunted me for weeks after that. Brick didn't seem to care as much. Or, if he had, he was good at hiding it. He had lost some of the anger he had that day. Having apologized to the children, and gaining back the love of little Maddie, things were fairly normal. He was silent a lot, keeping close to me for legal purposes. I tried not saying much about his silence to him, at risk it would set him off.

And I found myself watching him more, observing his ways. Hell, even admiring the things he did. I'd sit there sometimes, watching how he would entertain the kids, on those rare occasions. It would fascinate me to see the smile he got. I couldn't help but want to smile too. What did that mean? This is what it meant . . . It meant I needed more of a life. One outside of babysitting little kids and a rehabbing villain. I needed to get a lovelife.


	5. Chapter 5: Phone Call

It had been about a month and a half since Brick's freak out in the mess hall. July was nearing an end and Brick seemed to be growing more sullen by the day. It was upsetting to see to be honest. Brick and I weren't friends, but he knew I cared. Which he learned that day I yelled at him. He knew I was trying my best to help him, and his brothers, not end up in jail. For the most part, he was being helpful to me by _not_ doing something moronic.

It was Thursday night and Brick had done a fairly decent job of aiding the kids today. Hell, he actually acted nice enough that I allowed myself to trust him with a hot glue gun during crafts. As pathetic as it may sound, I couldn't be more serious about the glue gun.

I sat on the steps of my cabin, looking out at the crystal clear night sky. It was passed lights out for the kids and us counselors had some time to ourselves. I could see Brick through the screens of his cabin. It stunned me to see him . . . laughing. He was reading some fiction novel. The book was rested beside him on the bed, leaving me incapable of reading the title. But he looked so, I don't know, calm. Happy, even.

"_Blossom? Hellooo? You there?"_

I hadn't realized I'd stopped listening to Buttercup talk on the other end of the line. Shaking my head, I refocused on the call. "What, huh? Oh, I'm sorry. I just . . . zoned out a second. Now, what were you saying?"

"_I was saying how Butch is driving me up the wall. He's been flirting with every girl that walks on two legs. Actually, there was a girl with one that he even hit on. 'Better access for me' I think he said. He doesn't do his work sometimes. God, I swear. You are the biggest idiot in the world for agreeing to this. __**I'm**_ _the biggest idiot in the world for agreeing to this."_

"You weren't thinking that last week when you told me about all the nice, sweaty muscles Butch has when he's working on a car in the shop," I teased.

I could practically hear her growling with anger. "_I hate that I told you that. If I'd known you'd bug me about that, I would have told Bubbles. Have you talked to her, by the way? She's always in a rush when I call her."_

"Actually, no, I haven't. We talked about once last week. I think she and Boomer are actually enjoying the stay over senior citizens center they're at. Who would have thought old people could help create a spark between teenagers?"

"_Blossom . . . it's Bubbles. If broccoli could sing, she'd find it cute." _I had to admit, Buttercup _did_ have a point. "_Anything could help create a spark for her and guys."_ A deep, reluctant sigh. "_Looks like everyone's fallen for the counterpart but you. I hate you for this." _

I'd stopped listening to Buttercup again, my gaze fixated again on the object that was in Brick's hand. Some sort of paper. A photo maybe? My feet seemed to have a mind of their own, for I'd suddenly found myself standing up, looking for a better angle to see the photo. My heart nearly broke when I saw it was one of him and his brothers. Butch and him wrestling with Boomer. He looked so happy there and compared to the look of pain in his eyes, my heart sank.

"_Again with the zoning out? Are you listening? HELLOOOO? Blossom? Goddammit, did you lose your call in that bug infested forest of yours?"_

"Buttercup, do me a favor. Put Butch on the phone."

"_What? Why?"_

"I have a surprise for him. Just put him on, please."

Without another question or remark, I heard shuffling of feet, her walking over to Butch. My turn to collect my Rowdyruff . . . I tapped on the door of Brick's cabin, wondering if he'd care enough to open. Thankfully, he did.

He frowned at me in confusion. "Blossom? What's up?"

Talking from my cell phone caught my attention. _"Hello? Pinky? BC said you wanted to talk to me. Hellooo?"_

Brick heard it too. "Is that . . .?" He stared at the phone in my hand, his face pale and surprised.

I smiled as I held the phone to my ear. "Butch, hey. I have a surprise for you. Hold on."

Brick's eyes were huge, confusion and suspicion apparent on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you a chance to talk to your brother. This is the only one I managed to get ahold of though, sorry."

Brick, hesitantly, took the phone from my extended hand. He stared at it, than back at me, trying to understand. "What is this for? Are you and the Rent-A-Cop trying to bust me? Because the judge said I wasn't allowed to speak to my brothers for the entire length of time."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "You are paranoid, you know that? No, Bill is asleep in his cabin. I am just trying to be nice. God, no one is out to get you. Can't you just trust me?"

He let my words sink in, Butch muttering "_Hellooo? Someone wanna talk to me or what?" _ the entire time. He gave a slow nod before he backed up and took the phone into his cabin. I was startled to see him invite me in but I declined. "No, thanks though. I'll give you time with your brother. Just bring the phone out when you're done."

Another hesitant nod and he closed the door, the conversation between his brother and him going off with excitement and, what sounded like, sniffling.

I sat at the stairs of my cabin again, playing with my finger nails, and waited patiently. Brick was pacing inside his cabin, chattering on about his experience. I'd never seen him so happy in my life. This was like a family reunion from the gods to him. It surprised me to see that he paused at the window, looked at me, and actually smiled. Not smirked, not scowled, not glared, just smiled . . . a genuine and thankful smile. The look in his eyes, it brought butterflies to my stomach, and not for the first time since this little paroling adventure began either.

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

"_Sounds like a hell of a time. Not sure if it's a good hell or bad though. But man, it is so good to hear your voice. I've missed you. And I didn't think I knew what the word missed even meant unless it was in reference to aim. God, you need to tell Pinky thanks. Buttercup was set on not letting me talk to you or Boomer."_

Butch's excitement equaled to nearly half of mine. As recluse as I was, or as much as I tortured them, my brothers meant everything to me. More than everything. Not being able to talk to them the past six weeks was worse than spending six weeks alone with Blossom. Blossom . . . if I wanted to be honest, I couldn't say that. Spending the last six weeks with Blossom was, dare I say it, fun.

Sure, I'd been keeping quiet for the most part, just staying close to her so I didn't get into trouble. But, the fact of the matter is, I kinda _wanted_ to be close to her. Something about her, it just called to me. Maybe it was the being-counterparts thing. But the way she walked, the way she talked to the kids, to me . . . it just, I don't know, it set something off in me. She had such confidence, such authority in her actions and words when she was talking to me, but she did a complete one eighty with the kids. She would be so kind, nurturing, and motherly to them. Especially little Maddie, she was one of the few kids I'd ever grown to like. She gave me a fatherly role to some extent. Made me need to grow up, need to be good. Because that innocence about her . . . it made me want to be good. Or at least not be evil. I couldn't have forgiven myself if I had corrupted that pure little mind of hers. Blossom gave me that. She made me get over my pathetic self and be that step-in big brother to Maddie while she was here. Everything about Blossom had done something to me now.

"Her name is Blossom, not Pinky," I blurted out. But I didn't regret it.

There was a moment of hesitation, Butch unsure if he understood me correctly. _"What? Since when do you call her by her name? It's always been Pinky with you. What's changed bro?"_

Shit, he was right. Since the time we were little it's always either been Pinky or Red. But from that first day of camp, that look in her eyes outside Townville City Hall, it was Blossom. I liked being able to say her name. It just felt . . . better.

"I don't know, man. I guess I've just learned to respect her a little. It was bound to happen sooner or later in these six months of hell."

I'd forgotten I was talking to Butch here. Boomer was the idiot that believed anything he was told. Butch was _psych_otic, not _idi_otic. "_Bullshit, man. I'm not Boomer. Don't feed me stupid ass lies . . . Oh my God, don't tell me you fell for her."_ His laughter on the other end of the line fanned the flame for my temper.

"Don't put words in my mouth. I'm still the leader of the Rowdyruffs. And I say what I mean. Don't question my authority because you're on the other side of a phone line. I can still kick your ass when I get out of this." I hadn't meant to snap, but my defensive nature kicked in.

Shit, what was I saying? _Defensive?_ What's to be defensive about? I _wasn't_ in love with Blossom. I wouldn't be. I never could be. No matter how many cute kids or art projects and nice things she did, I would always hate her for being good. I was born to do evil, to kill her, that's all I knew and that's all I cared about. That's all it ever would be.

"_Right, sorry, Boss. I was just worried. I didn't mean that."_

I sat on the bed, sighing deeply as I tried to get ahold of my anger. "Just drop it, Butch. There's nothing inside me but hate for the Powerpuff Girls. All there ever will be. Nothing is going to change that." I rubbed my forehead, my head aching from this topic.

"_Sorry, Brick . . . Hey, I'm sorry, man. BC is giving me a scary ass look. I think my twenty minutes is up. God, it was good to hear from ya. I miss ya, man. Only four and a half months left. Then we'll really do some damage to these Girls, just like old times. Right?" _It surprised me to see that the sadistic tone he usually had when talking of messing with the girls was not present in his words now. Had he been just saying them to please me?

"Yeah, I should go too. I got more shit to do tomorrow, too fucking early if you ask me. I miss ya too, B. Say hey to Miss Stick-Up-Her-Ass for me. I hope we talk again soon."

Butch laughed manically. _"Keep sweet talkin' Blossy over there or whatever the hell it is you're doing. Because whatever it is, it's working. That'll get us another call. G'night, Brick. Peace."_

"Yeah, g'night." And I hung up the phone, leaning forward, forearms rested on my knees while I processed my phone call a minute or two.

God, the relief of hearing my brother was beyond relaxing. Hearing Boomer's voice along with Butch would have been a heaven-sent gift. Butch, however, was my main concern. Buttercup was a bitch sometimes and Butch often faced the problems. Bubbles could be sweet-talked and Blossom could be logically talked down, but Buttercup? If Butch pissed her off, it was a missing limb for him. And the thought actually worried me.

I forced myself to my feet and walked over to the window, looking over to Blossom as she rested on the stairs of her cabin. She didn't see me, her eyes fixated on something in the sky. I stared between her and the phone I had cupped in my hands. Why had she let me speak to my brother? It was against the rules for me. I spent most of my tween year studying Blossom and her sisters. _Know thy enemy_. And knowing Blossom, breaking rules was _not_ her. Why start now? Why for me?

_Because she cares about you, you dumbass. Why can't you be considerate to her in the least?_ Fuck, I wish the voice in my head would shut the fuck up. The past six weeks it had been telling me to either be kind to Blossom, care about her, or open up to her. And most of all, stop lying about hating her, because I didn't. The past week or so, I'd been starting to believe what the voice said. And whenever I even considered doing that, my head would hurt like hell, and feel as if it were ready to just explode. It was causing me physical pain to want to be nice to her, but it tore away at me emotionally to not. What did that mean for me . . . ?

I walked out to the front of the cabin, the sound of the door opening causing Blossom to look at me. There was a halfhearted smile on her face, as if she couldn't decide whether to smile or frown at my presence. And to be honest, it cut me a bit. Did I want her to be happy to see me or did I want her to be scared to see me, as she always was when we were kids? Okay, that was a lie too. She was too smart to be scared of me.

I stopped a few feet away, forcing a smile on my face. It wasn't too hard; she'd just given me the best gift anyone had ever given me. "Hey . . . um, thanks. For that phone call."

The halfhearted smile slowly morphed into a wholehearted one and she nodded, taking the phone from my extended hand. "No problem. I thought it would maybe help lower that anger level of yours a bit."

"It did a lot more than that," I said, genuinely grateful for what she'd done.

There was an awkward moment of silence, neither of us sure what to say now. Her eyes shot up to the sky again, and she sighed contently. "Beautiful out, isn't it?"

It bothered me that she was forcing herself to make small talk, but I played along. "I guess so. I've never really looked at nature as beautiful."

"Well than what was it to you?" she asked, tilting her head towards me a bit.

I shrugged. "Shelter or cover. Usually from you and your sisters."

Blossom's eyes met mine again and I wondered if I was seeing things correctly. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought I saw pain or displeasure in her eyes. Softly, she asked, "Is it still that for you now?"

To be honest, I wasn't sure of anything anymore. "Too soon to tell."

My stomach did flips as I watched a small smile play on the edge of her lips. God, why did she have to be so beautiful?

_Beautiful?_ Is that what she was now? She went from just some really sexy girl to beautiful? What was wrong with me?

I couldn't help but take notice of the way her long, sensual legs were crossed and she rested back on the step behind her. A casual, though very enticing, pose. Her pink hoodie fit her form perfectly, clinging to her so nicely. She had jeans on, but she still looked sexier than any woman in a skanky skirt could ever compare.

Blossom watched me, wondering if I'd say something else to her, but I was so tongue tied by the way she was so stunning. I didn't know what the hell to say. Seeming to notice my staring, she shifted her position, hugging herself as if she were cold. Though, I am fairly certain it was more of self-consciousness twitch, and it was quite amusing to watch.

"Well, it's getting a little chilly. I'm gonna go in. I'll . . . see you in the morning," she said, smiling at me again.

"Right, tomorrow. See you then." She stood up and started to turn but I grabbed her wrist, causing her to meet my gaze again. I had no idea what I wanted to say. But I liked the way her gaze made me feel. It was like no late night flight I'd ever done could ever compare to. "Thank you . . . for letting me talk to my brother. It . . . it meant a lot to me."

Blossom grinned, pleased. "Good, I was hoping it would do that."

Her eyes dropped from mine to my hand, still grasping her wrist. I quickly pulled back, not having realized I was still holding her. "Sorry."

Her smile morphed into something else. Still a smile, but I wasn't sure what it meant. And it confused me greatly. "Well, goodnight." And she retreated inside.

It took me a moment to get my feet actually moving. But when I did, I managed to make it back to my cabin and then to the bed. I collapsed there, looking up at the ceiling (or rather, the bunk above my bed), my feelings raging like wildfire as they conflicted against each other. I didn't know what to feel.

I felt thrill of pleasure from hearing my brother's voice, gratefulness that Blossom gave me that opportunity to speak to my brother, lust (or what I hoped what was still merely lust) for Blossom and her insanely gorgeous body, hate that Blossom made me feel so much when I was around her, and excitement to see those eyes of her again and feel that way she made me feel when I looked into them. But also, there was some emotion, still undetermined as to what specifically I felt for Blossom. I wasn't in love with her, not at all. I had too much pent up hate for her to ever love her.

But what if, just what if, I actually _liked_ her? What did that mean then? What did that mean then for my brothers, for our families, and . . . for us?


	6. Author's Note: Contest

_COMING SOON!_

_It's A Wonderfully Fucked Up Life – A Christmas Oneshot_

_POV: Third person following Buttercup._

_Couplings: Original pairings_

_Sorry for the exceptionally long delay, but these were a lot longer than I had expected them to be. The Christmas one is coming along though. Hopefully soon it will be at a posting stage. *fingers crossed* _


	7. Chapter 6: The Start

I woke up Friday morning, expecting that I would need to go and drag Brick out of bed, as usual. But, apparently, Brick had other plans.

As I walked out of my cabin, staring down at my cell phone, I ran smack into Brick's chest. With an oomph, I fell back, landing flat on my butt. Shit, he was strong. Rubbing my head, I felt like I'd just run into a, well, a brick wall. Jeeze, no wonder his name was Brick.

I anticipated that he would laugh or just smirk at me with the infuriating arrogant look of his. Instead, I got an extended hand, offering to help me up.

"Sorry, I didn't see you walking out," he said, actually looking apologetic.

I paused a moment, to see if he was joking or completely blind. But Brick merely waited, handed stretched out to me. Feeling odd, and completely stunned, I took his hand and pulled myself up. "No, it was my fault," I insisted.

When I steadied myself, I presumed he would back away. This was not the case. If anything, it felt as if the small space between us had grown even smaller, that he'd inched closer. Still holding my hand, he asked, "You okay?"

Physically, I was fine. Mentally, I was going crazy. Maybe blind too. This had been the same Brick I was babysitting, right? Because Rowdyruff Brick would never help anyone, let alone me, up after a fall. In fact, he'd do quite the opposite. Brick would be the one kicking me when I was down. Frowning at him, trying to figure out what the hell had happened, I said, "Um, I'm not quite sure. Are you, uh, feeling all right?"

His eyes clouded over and confusion entered his features as he cocked his head to the side. "Sure, I guess. Why wouldn't I be?"

I glanced down at our adjoined hands before meeting his eyes again. It'd taken him a moment to process my hint, but eventually, he understood. "Oh," he said and he dropped my hand. "Sorry. I was just, um, caught by surprise."

Brick took a few steps back, leaving a huge gap between us. To my great disbelief, it bothered me to see the space grow.

"Oh. Right. So what- what are you doing up?" I stuttered. "I was just about to go and drag you out of bed."

Brick's well-known smirk had returned, all confusion gone, having been replaced by amusement. "I know, I'm totally sexy in my pajamas. It's not a surprise you'd like seeing them again." All embarrassment now gone from my face, his smirk grew from the glare that was now being thrown his way. "I was just trying to be nice and make your day a little easier. If you want me to go back, change into my pj's and lay down, you know, so you can 'wake me up', I'll be more than happy to."

Gritting my teeth, I furiously rolled my eyes. "Well, good to see your sarcastic pain in the ass attitude is back. I was worried you were getting sick on me or something."

"Nice to see you care so much about me."

There was something in his tone. Cynicism and narcissism without a doubt, but something else as well. Seriousness, perhaps? Unlikely. Brick couldn't be serious if his life depended on it. Which he'd proven more than a few times over the years.

Deciding to ignore it, I started heading towards the main campgrounds. "Right, well, we should go. We're taking the kids to the zoo today. Whoever's bright idea that was is obviously an idiot."

Brick's pace had slowed, his expression going somber. He raised his hand hesitantly, saying, "Actually, that was me. So you're half right. I personally don't think I'm an idiot, but I can understand why you'd think that."

I'd stopped dead in my tracks, looking back at him. I couldn't hold back the laughter. But I managed to only giggle. "I'm sorry, did you say _you _did it? How? This schedule was made before you were even given the deal for community service."

Brick shifted awkwardly, looking unsure of how to speak. He shoved his hands into his pocked, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels. "Well, Maddie was saying to me at break Monday how she'd never gone to the zoo. So, I spoke to the other counselors and they agreed we should make it fit into the schedule. They all were looking for an excuse to get cell phone service. Most don't get shit out here."

My slight giggle had morphed into an all-out laugh fest. I was practically doubled over from the pain in my sides laughing so much had caused. Brick scowled at me, not pleased that I was laughing at his attempts of being nice. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . you've gone soft on me. What happened to Badass Brick? The I-don't-give-a-shit-about-anyone Rowdyruff. Now you're all let's-sing-Kumbaya nice guy? Shit, I should have had you put on community service with kids years ago."

Brick's scowl had turned into a full on glare. Within two strides, he stood closely in front of me, looming over me. "Let's get something straight, Pinky. I can do whatever the fuck I want. So what if I felt like being nice _once_?That's my fucking prerogative. I'm still just as badass as I was before. Don't even go there. I'm still the Rowdyruff leader."

I couldn't help snickering, despite how he loomed a foot over my head at least. His tone may have been aggressive, husky, and full of hated, but his eyes were playful and teasing. "I'm sorry," I said between giggles. "But I can't take you seriously after hearing that."

He grabbed me by the throat, my hands automatically going to his in reflex, despite him not choking me. He pushed me into the trunk of a nearby tree, his face mere inches from mine. "You really should not have said that. I could kill you _so_ easily. I have you in the perfect spot too. No one would ever know."

My laughing had stopped, but I wasn't scared. I felt his body pressed against mine, and the heat that radiated off his skin from his anger was like a personal heater. The emotions once present in his features still remained, but something else had been added, something I couldn't identify.

The playfulness in his eyes grew brighter with each second we remained like that. He watched me, looking to see if I'd quiver in fear of him. But I didn't. Brick's ragged breath blew in my face, smelling of mint and strawberries. And it drove me crazy. Shit, come on, Blossom. He just threatened to kill you and you're turned on by how sweet and amazing his breath smells? Get a hold of yourself, girl!

Something changed in Brick's features. The hate and anger vanished from his face, playfulness having taken over. His glare had turned into a smirk. And he started laughing. I smiled and started laughing as his grew. He rested his head on my shoulder, amused by this whole incident.

His large hand left my neck and went beside my head, using the trunk of the tree to support himself in his laughing frenzy. When Brick managed to get control of himself, he pulled back a bit, looking into my eyes, a smile taking the place of the smirk.

The playfulness vanished from his eyes, leaving behind an unidentifiable emotion. He watched me, seeing something just as confusing to him in mine, based on the look on his face. I hadn't realized we were still pressed against each other, faces less than a few inches apart. Not until the giggling of children caught our attention.

"Told you they liked each other," someone had whispered.

Our heads both whipped to my right, looking over at our group of kids. All were standing there, backpacks in hand and amusement on their faces. "See, they are dating. Look at them!" Danielle shouted from the front of the group.

Maddie, now holding Danielle's hand, smiled up at us, looking just as surprised and amused as the rest of them.

My eyes darted back to Brick's, as did his to mine. Glancing down at the way our bodies were, we both had realized what we must have looked like, especially the way they meshed together like they had. Taking a huge step back, Brick's face grew bright red, as I'm sure mine did as well. "Oh no," he said. "We're not . . . we're not together. We were just . . ."

Looking over to me for assistance, I stuttered unsure. I hadn't understood what had just happened any more than he did. "We were just um . . . um . . . we were just . . . talking. That's all."

They all just stared at us, giving us a "yeah right" look. Maddie was the first to chime in. "Brick is cute wif Bwossum!" Had she not just said that, I would have found it absolutely adorable that Maddie was still too young to pronounce my name correctly.

An embarrassed laugh escaped my lips as did one from Brick's. "Oh, well, um-"

"Yeah, don't play dumb with us," Rachel interrupted me. "We're kids, not aliens. We know when teenagers are dating."

"But-" I started, but was cut off again.

"It's cool," Danielle interrupted, shrugging. "Don't need to get defensive. We won't tell anyone. Villains and heroines can't be together, we understand that. It's cool."

Her logic did make sense. We were being defensive. But we hadn't been doing anything . . . right?

Brick smiled and squatted down in front of Danielle and Maddie. "We swear nothing is going on. But if there were, you guys would be the first to know." He tickled Maddie before scooping her up in his arms and patting Danielle's head. "So, who's ready for the zoo?"

My embarrassment had been erased by the amazement for Brick and his ability to bring an end to, well, messy situations like that. I watched as Maddie wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. "For you, since Bwossum won't do it."

Brick broke out laughing and glanced over his shoulder at me. "Well thank you, at least someone loves me enough to give me a little kiss. Maybe Blossom will another time."

Having just realized what he said, both he and I froze a moment, extremely surprised. Maddie, thankfully, quickly put an end to that with another question. "You tell me if you two date right? Pwomise?"

Brick kissed Maddie's forehead and nodded. "Of course."

The two of us were silent the entire walk to the bus. He'd gone so far as to actually call and have a bus brought over for the _entire_ camp to go.

"Who paid for all this? The camp doesn't have money to rent a bus and buy seventy five people zoo tickets."

Brick smiled at me as he helped Maddie with her seat belt. "Anonymous donation," he said simply. I watched from my seat as Brick took attendance and counted everyone before yelling to the bus driver to get this "tin can" moving. After the cheers of excitement had settled, he met my eyes. "Mind if I sit with you? You know, since you're across from Maddie."

I couldn't help smiling at him, thinking about how much he'd changed in six weeks. "Yeah, I guess that's fine."

Brick smile returned and he settled himself beside me on the bus bench. I couldn't stop staring at the way he grinned at Maddie, only adding to her excitement. Or the way he seemed so tranquil and comfortable. It was endearing. Brick met my eyes and I couldn't help but notice the way the light literally brought a sparkle to his own. And for the first time, I was attracted to him. He looked handsome . . . okay, outright gorgeous. So much so, it hurt to actually look at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

Blinking rapidly, I nodded. "Hmm? Yeah. Great, actually."

Seeming unsure if I was lying or not, he must have settled on thinking I'd been honest, because his smile grew into a grin, showing off perfect teeth. My heartbeat grew rapid at the sight. I couldn't look at him anymore. Turning my gaze to outside the window, anything outside the bus window, I forced myself not to look at him the entire bus ride.

God, I couldn't be . . . I just couldn't be. My God, please, if there was any sanity left in the world, I'd wake up from this dream. Because if this was reality, than I was the world worst joke. I, a Powerpuff Girl, was in serious _like_ with my evil counterpart. God . . . could I be any more of an idiot?

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

My head was killing me. What the hell had happened back there? Why had I let myself end up in that situation with Blossom? I'd gone from my hands gripping her neck and my threatening to kill her to suddenly laughing and being tangled together with her like we about to go at it. What the hell was wrong with me? Why, goddammit? Why was I in this fucking situation?

Maddie grinned at me the entire ride to the zoo which was a near hour and a half bus ride. Her eyes darted between me and Blossom, obviously suspecting I'd been lying about us not being together. To my dismay though, Blossom refused to look at me once on the ride over. Was she disturbed about our little incident before? Was she upset it happened? Nervous about it? God, it was times such as these I wish we were on better terms, ones in which I could ask her how she was feeling and know she'd tell me the truth.

To be honest, it nearly killed me that I couldn't see her eyes. They captivated me. I craved for the feeling I got inside when she would smile at me; it was like a sickness now. I longed for it more and more each time. It was worse than a drug addiction.

Once we were off the bus, Maddie reached up, begging for me to carry her. I lifted her up and she burrowed into the crease of my neck. She felt so small, so fragile, that most of the time I feared I'd hurt her. I know it sounds odd coming from me, someone whose whole life consisted of an unending desire to want to bring cruel and unusual pain to Blossom and her sisters. But since this camp trip started, it bothered me thinking of hurting these kids . . . or Blossom for that matter.

I watched Blossom the entire walk to the building, admiring either the way she strode self-assuredly or how her long auburn hair looked so stunning as it rested over her shoulders, creating a veil around her face. And the way she joked with the kids. Oh, and her laugh. It was mesmerizing to me. It was like a siren's song, calling to me.

All of which made me want to ram my head against a wall. She was gaining so much control over me and she had no idea of it. Oblivious to my growing feelings for her, I couldn't help but wonder what it would happen if I'd told her. What would she say if I'd voiced how I felt for her? Would she get creeped out? Angry? Would she laugh at me as she had today at my merely being nice?

Did she feel the same? No, she couldn't. Could she? All she'd ever known of us was hate, my undying hate and need to kill her. Or cause her pain in the cruelest way possible. But then again, that's all I'd known as well . . . and look where I ended up. Could she feel the same for me? Even a little? Sometimes, I felt so, the look in her eyes made me believe so. Like today . . . something . . . something in those peculiar pink eyes of hers had changed, some unknown emotion had arisen. But in that intense moment we'd had back at camp . . . something came alive in her. Was it feelings for me? Could she like me back?

I felt a light tug on my collar, pulling me out of my thoughts. Maddie glanced up at me, her big blue eyes curious. "Brick? Why don't you date Bwossom? You like her wight?"

Damn, this kid really was observant. I smiled at her, amused by her innocence. "Sure, she's my friend." It felt more than a little abnormal saying _that_ aloud, let alone that I liked her.

"But why don't you kiss her?" she pressed.

God, as adorable as Maddie was, she really did know how to ask hard questions. My rubbed my temple, my head aching from having to explain this. Blossom stood at the door of the main entrance with the rest of the group, distributing tickets. And I couldn't help wonder about Maddie's question. Relaxing on a concrete bench about fifteen yards away, I set Maddie in my lap, looking down at her. "It's hard to explain. I'm . . . I'm the bad guy. Blossom's the good one. The hero. No one would like us being together anyway."

She sucked on her thumb, contemplating that a moment. Having determined what to say in response, she grinned up at me. "I would. You no need other people to care. Just me."

I laughed. Damn, this kid was gonna be a great politician or something one day. She sure knew how to make herself seem important. "Very true. But, we couldn't be together. It's just too hard. Blossom needs a good boy. A _real_ good boy. I'm just a wannabe good boy trying to make up for his big mistakes."

For the first time since meeting her, Maddie glared at me, nothing but authority in her features. She stood on my lap, having excellent balance, and gripped my face in her small hands. Even standing up, she barely reached my eye level. "I say you good boy, Brick. Bwossom say so too. Don't you want to be wif her?"

I had been watching Blossom, thinking through Maddie's words. Maddie was really giving me something to think about. My head was practically on fire and it felt like it would implode if she asked another question. This was too much to consider at once. I'd only recently come to the revelation that I had any sort of feelings for Blossom besides hate, let alone liking her. And I did like her. But did I want to be with her? _Could_ I be with her?

Maddie settled herself back into my lap, and sat there, waiting. "Well?" she pressed.

I looked back to her, smiling. "I'll let you know when I decide."

Having to consider that a moment, she finally nodded, having found that fair. "Good," she said, putting an end to that difficult topic.

I looked back over to Blossom and my heart did flips. She'd been looking at me, for the first time since we left the campsite. There was a small smile playing at the edge of her lips. Had she heard what Maddie and I had been talking about?

Having super hearing was a big pain in the ass. After having to deal with it for over thirteen years, I'd taught myself to block out unnecessary crap, well, things out of the normal hearing range at least. But even I had a slip up here and there.

"_Very true. But, we couldn't be together. It's just too hard. Blossom needs a good boy. A real good boy. I'm just a wannabe good boy trying to make up for his big mistakes."_

Brick? What on earth was he talking about? Only two things had stood out to me in that sentence. "We couldn't be together" and "I'm just a wannabe good boy trying to make up for his big mistakes". Is that all Brick thought of himself as? A bad guy trying to make up for his past? And more so, did he truly believe we couldn't be together? What the fuck, Blossom? Of course you can't be together! He's been trying to kill you for thirteen years! He's the worst villain Townsville ever had. Of course you'll never be together!

I forced myself to put the thought aside. My curiosity got the best of me. I had to hear the rest of this conversation. "_I say you good boy, Brick. Bwossom say so too. Don't you want to be wif her?"_

Maddie was the mastermind behind this conversation? I suppose I'm not surprised. She had this boy wrapped around her little finger. She would probably be the _only_ one to be able to get him to answer this stuff at all, ever.

I stood there, waiting anxiously to hear his response. There was a long hesitation. Did he not want to? Of course he didn't. He threatened to kill you not even two hours ago. But then . . . why hesitate? Why not simply say that. Did this mean he liked me back? Did he want to be with me?

Thankfully, the silence was broken. _"I'll let you know when I decide," _he murmured.

He wasn't sure? That meant he had to feel something for me. Right? My heart leapt, eager to know his perspective on this entirely unusual situation. I couldn't help smile, but I fought as hard as I could not to show it, failing spectacularly. I dared myself to sneak a peek at him. He was smiling at Maddie, and, as if he'd read my mind, turned and met my eyes. He flashed me a brilliant smile, setting my heart into overdrive. It took all I had to look away, rather than continue gazing into those eyes of his.

I sighed deeply, putting on the authority figure façade on once more. "Okay, everyone. Let's get inside. Stick with your counselors and have fun."

As if instantaneously, Brick was at my side, whispering in my ear, "I'm here for you when you're ready." His sweet, seductive tone, however intentional or unintentional, sent a chill up my spine. I couldn't help but wonder if the double meaning in his words was deliberate or merely in my head.

I turned and looked up at him, a cocky, yet seductive, smirk on his face. Maddie was in his arms, smiling gleefully at me. I grinned at both. "Glad to hear it . . . ready?"

He nodded and followed behind me as we walked with the kids inside. I must have truly been losing my mind, but I thought, for a split second, he'd put his hand on my lower back.

My mind had been going over what Brick had said, or rather, that hesitation he had when asked if he wanted to be with me. I couldn't get over my need to know the answer. Did he want to be? Did he not want to? What did that mean? My heart was skipping a beat at the thought of it.

What was I thinking? So what if he wanted to be with me or I him for that matter. He was right about that first comment I'd heard. He was the bad guy and I . . . I was the good guy, the hero. We'd never be able to be together. No matter how much the idea pleased me.

Is that what it did? It pleased me to think about being with him? Was I so in _like_ with him that I was willing to risk my sisters and the Professor to be with him? No, no way in hell would I risk my family to be with a villain. As much as the idea made me happy, my family meant more to me than any guy. Especially Brick of the Rowdyruffs.


	8. Chapter 7: He Could Be The One

**A/N: Yes, you're seeing correctly. _DOUBLE CHAPTER UPDATE! _I was in a good mood. Valentine's day coming up and all. So I wanted to spoil you faithful readers today. Enjoy the second update!**

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><p>Brick's<em> POV:<em>

I couldn't help grinning at the sight of the children scattering about to view the Africa exhibit. I'd been laughing and smiling that a lot lately, something that didn't normally happen. Sure, I smirked, snickered, scowled, glared, and all that jazz. But lately I'd been actually smiling, not smirking. Especially when Blossom was around. And to tell you the truth, I actually _liked_ it. It was nice and I liked the way when I smiled, Blossom would as well.

I couldn't help watching the way she giggled at the excitement of the kids when they all took off in amazement. Even little Maddie had wriggled herself out of my arms to go with the older kids.

Blossom smiled at me, amused by their enthusiasm. "It's like a _Lion King_ movie in here," she said casually.

I couldn't help but nod. It was. But, to tell you the truth, I enjoyed it. _The Lion King_ had been my favorite movie as a child. Not that I'd ever told anyone that. Especially Butch and Boomer.

I was pulled out of thoughts by suddenly hearing the faint humming of one of the songs from the movie. Expecting one of the children to break out into song, I nearly started laughing when I realized who the singing had been from.

" . . . Oh I just can't wait to be king . . ." Blossom sang under her breath. Stunned, I stared down at her, wondering if I was losing my mind even more than I realized. She smiled up at me, her cheeks going a shade pinker. "What?"

I blinked, still unsure if I was or wasn't going insane. "Were you . . . singing?"

"What! Okay, I sing _Lion King_ songs. So sue me. It was my favorite movie as a child," she said, a shy defensiveness to her tone.

Now that threw me. "Wait, the Lion King was your favorite movie?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, why?"

I smiled, a little more enthusiastic than necessary. "Mine too!"

A small smirk played on her lips, clearly amused. "I suppose I'm not surprised. It's a counterpart thing probably. I'm sure we have a lot of things in common."

I wonder if the disappointment was apparent on my face. Was that all she thought of us as, one big coincidence? "Is that all you think it is?" I blurted out, instantly regretting it. What if I didn't like her answer?

Blossom paused a moment, thinking that through. "I'll let you know when I decide," she said, giving me a knowing look, before walking off to the kids now all huddled around the lion's den glass.

The look of enjoyment in her eyes made me realize why I had a small moment of déjà vu. I'd said that to Maddie about my unsure desire to date Blossom. She _had_ heard me. I was sure of it. Then what did that mean? Did she not like the idea of my hesitation?

She waved at me, encouraging me to come over with them. I found myself walking before I even had processed what her request was.

I hadn't been paying much attention to the zoo. Mostly just Blossom, enjoying the glow of glee she had when she looked over the different animals with the kids. I hadn't really noticed anything except the few times that Maddie had brought my attention to them and away from Blossom.

It was an enjoyable day, I had to admit. Maddie was beaming with contentment at the fact I'd done this for her as were the other kids. Blossom and I managed to have some alone time to talk here and there, but for the most part though, there was silence between us. But I didn't mind. I was content just being near her. It wasn't until the bus we really talked.

After having redone the usual routine for field trips, I buckled Maddie up and settled myself in the seat across the aisle from her, smiling as she yawned and fell right to sleep. Blossom startled me by suddenly appearing beside me, sliding past to sit between myself and the window. "Hey, great job today," she said casually as she settled herself into the seat.

"Thanks," I said, somewhat taken aback.

She was silent a moment, hesitation evident in her expression. "I, uh, never did thank you for arranging all this. It was fun. And I think you made a certain little blonde very happy," she said, eyeing a sleeping Maddie across from us.

I couldn't fight back the urge to smile. "You welcome. I'm glad I did one nice thing on this three month experience." So it was an _experience_ now, not _hell_?

All the humor she had vanished instantly. "You've done more than one good thing on this experience, and you know that."

She yawned then and rested her head back. Before her eyes could even close, I'd heard her heart rate drop and her breathing slow. She was asleep, and deeply so from the looks of it.

I went rigid a moment when she shifted, only to be stunned beyond recognition when Blossom curled up into my side, resting her head on my arm. Instinct had me frozen. This was a first for us. They only time we'd ever touch was to sock each other in the face or attempt to rip each other's throats out. This . . . this was comforting, casual, and I liked it. Only after a moment of minor internal debate did I carefully wrap my arm around her, letting her rest her head on my chest. She sighed contently in her sleep, looking utterly peaceful. It felt so right.

I rested my head back, only to be started when I felt her arm go around my waist in her sleep. But I liked the feeling. She was soft and delicate. And I couldn't have been more at ease as I drifted to sleep.

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><p>I slowly returned to consciousness after over an hour of heavy sleeping on the bus. I felt a strong arm tighten around me as I woke up. Only a moment later did I realize that I was meshed up against someone. Not just any someone, but <em>Brick<em>. I jumped back, ramming into the window of the bus. He shifted but didn't wake. Shit, what the hell had I just been doing? His arm fell into his lap and I wondered . . . _had his arm been around me_? What the fuck? The bus came to a stop and I realized we were back at camp.

Michelle and Rowan, her male counselor partner, stood and guided the kids off the bus. Turning my attention to the still sleeping Brick, I nudged him gently and he jolted in his seat, suddenly surprised. Looking around anxiously, he met my eyes and, oddly enough, relaxed. "Are we back yet?"

I bit back my laughter at his reaction. "Yes, we are."

He nodded and rested back in the seat as the kids and other counselors stepped off, one by one. He looked at me from under his sunglasses. "You sleep well?"

Whoa, was he actually being kind enough to ask? It still felt quite abnormal hearing him be so . . . nice. Had he realized that he'd had his arm around me or that I'd been sleeping against him? "Yeah, I did actually. Um, did you . . ." He watched me, waiting for me to ask him. But I'd decided against it. If he hadn't realized what we'd been sleeping that way than best not to bring it up. "Never mind."

Confused a bit, he nodded without questions and stood up to follow the last person out. I watched as he carefully unbuckled the sleeping Maddie and carried her off. It took all I had not to say "aww" at the sight.

When I'd gotten off the bus, I took Maddie from a yawning Brick's arms. "I'll take her and put her down. It's late."

Nodding in agreement, Brick pulled his cell out of his pocket, the backlight setting his face aglow in the darkness. "Damn, it's ten o'clock already."

Maddie shifted under my arms, finally waking up. Pulling back to look at me, she frowned and said, "No sleep. Party night."

Brick's face fell, unable to understand. "What is she talking about?"

"It was on the agenda," I explained, turning to him. "Girls have a sleepover in the mess hall, guys in the gym. The kids look forward to it every year because it gives them an excuse to stay up all night and sleep in. We usually cancel the morning activities to let them sleep. It's a lot of fun actually."

Maddie smiled. "Can we pwease do it Bwossom? Pwease?"

"Yeah _Bwossom,_ pwease?" Brick teased, playing along.

Pretending to think a moment, Maddie's nervousness grew with every second. Smiling at her, I said, "Well, I don't see a problem with it. Let's go see if everyone else is up for it, shall we?"

Maddie cheered with delight and hugged me tightly. Brick stroked her hair as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"So, I report to the . . . gym?" he asked, looking up from her head.

Raising an eyebrow, I responded, "Yes, you do."

Smiling, he nodded and took a few steps forward. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

I felt my chest get tight and my heart rate speed up. He took a step or two more, barely inches from me now, slowly leaning in. Oh my god, what the hell was he doing? But that all changed when he kissed Maddie's head and took a giant step back. "Good night, ladies," he murmured before walking to his cabin.

"I thought he was gonna kiss you," Maddie whispered in my ear.

"I thought so too," I whispered back, feeling like an utter idiot.

We watched him retreat into the darkness, before turning as well and heading into the area with the Girls' cabins. No one turned down the option to have the party night, all now suddenly wide awake. Even the female counselors seemed eager about it. Running off to tell the boys of the plans, a few of us stayed behind to prepare the girls.

We all reconvened in the mess hall, tables rearranged to fit all the girls in the center of the room comfortably. Maddie set her tiny sleeping bag beside mine, all of which were gathered from the storage building, purchased and collected for this night every summer.

Andrea, a tall brunette camp counselor I wasn't too well acquainted with, took her iPod and iHome out of her small messenger bag. She quickly set it up and a song immediately started blasting through the speakers. "_Smooth talkin' so rockin'. He's got everything that a girl's wantin'…"_

The girls all let out loud shrills of excitement as the Miley Cyrus song played. Everyone was on their feet in seconds, dancing and singing along. Maddie tried pulling me to my feet, only actually able to with assistance from me, than started joining the excitement with dancing. Hell, I found myself even dancing and singing as well. "_Think I'm really falling for his smile. There's butterflies when he says my name. Hey_!"

There was a knock on the double doors of the mess hall, silencing us all (music now paused, only adding to the silence). "What the . . ." Michelle said as she walked to answer it.

"Don't get it! It's a monster!" Ariel called, seeming as if she actually believed it.

Some girls snickered, others started cowering, hiding behind the older kids or counselors. Michelle rolled her eyes as she walked over, opening the door hesitantly. I couldn't help giggling when at least a dozen girls started screaming as the door opened, only to find . . . Brick?

He looked up at her, smiling, but it faded at the sight of her. "Michelle . . ." he greeted emotionlessly. "Is Blossom here?"

Everyone's, including my own, eyes went huge with surprise. All turned to stare at me as I watched him in uncertainty. Maddie came and stood in front of me, watching him with glee. The movement caught his attention and he met my eyes, smiling. "Bloss, can I talk to you?"

Maddie smiled up at me, pulling me by my pajama tank top. "She will," she answered for me.

After being nudged by a few girls as Maddie pulled me along, I stumbled to the door, practically running into a disgruntled looking Michelle. "Her? Why? Aren't you two enemies or something?" she asked with obvious disdain.

He met my eyes again, smirking. "Well then we're some really friendly enemies."

Unsure what he meant, Michelle seemed to take it as something else, an irritated expression taking form on her face. Rolling her eyes and walking away, she continued to send resentful looks at me.

I smiled, still a bit unsure what he was doing. "What's up, Brick?"

"Can we talk outside?" he asked, nodding his head over his shoulder.

I hadn't seen the harm in it because, oddly enough, I trusted him. Without hesitation, I followed him outside. He was wearing a pair of fairly baggy cotton maroon plaid pants and a scarlet red hoodie. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he walked back a few steps, stepping away from the door. "Come on a walk with me."

My feet were moving before I had even had time to process his statement. "What are you gonna do? Murder me in the woods?" I joked, but the dark sadistic look that appeared in his eyes for a split second made me nervous.

Smiling now, he walked close beside me. "No, I won't. Promise. I, um, actually have something for you."

I stared at him through narrow slits, looking more than a little suspicious. "What do you mean?"

We'd reached the end of the clearing and he stopped to face me. "I bought you something at the gift shop when we were there today. You know, Maddie suggested it, and I thought it would make her happy to have it for you. So, it's from Maddie really, but it came out of my wallet."

Brick chuckled as he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a small velvet bag. Shaking its contents into his palm the sound of a jingle caught my attention. He held it up to me, showing me what it had been. It was a silver bracelet, with small red bells and two lions. A lioness and her cub. Staring at it in awe, I forced my eyes to meet his. "Why did you get this?"

He shifted a bit before answering. "Maddie heard you say _The Lion King_ was your favorite movie, so she found this and said we should get it for you. Because of the little lions."

I smiled, taking the bracelet from his hands. "It's cute. I'll have to thank her for it. And thank you, because you did buy it."

He smirked and nodded, taking a step forward. "Glad you like it." After another moment of silence as I put the bracelet on, he said, "Well, you should get back to the girls. I just wanted to give it to you before Maddie totally went crazy."

There was another step forward from him, sending my heart aflutter. Swallowing dryly, I managed to say, "Right, well, thanks again. I'll s-see you tomorrow."

Brick continued to inch forward, making no attempt to leave. My pulse quickened with each breath he took. He froze at the sound of singing suddenly grabbing our attention. The girls had started singing "He Could Be the One", though no music played. It had been directed at us, no doubt about it.

I felt my face get hot as our eyes met again. "I should go," I murmured.

His smirk returned and he nodded, backing away and giving me the chance to make a getaway. I quickly walked back to the mess hall, watching him a moment before opening the door. Three girls fell, being that the door swung out, but quickly scrambled to get out of the way. Multiple girls had been surrounding the door as the rest tried getting views through the window. I shut the door and tried to hide the smile of amusement on my face.

Nearly everyone scattered, returning to the center of the room as if nothing had happened. Maddie was running over to me though, jumping into my arms. "What did Brick want, Bwossom?" she asked, smiling a sweet smile.

Holding up my right hand, I showed her the wrist now displaying my bracelet. "He gave me this. Thank you for suggesting he buy it."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, looking utterly confused. "I didn't, Bwossom. Brick did. I don't do nuffing."

I stared between the girls listening intently, my bracelet, and back to Maddie. "You didn't? But . . . "

The girls exchanged a look before staring back at me and breaking out into song. "He could be the one, he could be the one . . . !"

I felt my face get hot again, hiding back a smile as they continued to sing. Maddie kissed my cheek and stared down at the bracelet, looking it over. My heart skipped a beat thinking about Brick and his gift. Suddenly no song had ever felt more true to me than the one they'd been singing.

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><p><strong>AN: This was super cheesy, but I loved it. I found it so cute when I was writing it. If you don't like Hannah Montana, well . . . sux 4 u. Lol. Hope you liked the double chapter update today. **


	9. Chapter 8: Buzz Kill

_Blossom's POV: _

After a night of awkward stares, only to be continued into the next day, people eventually stopped wondering about me and Brick. His gift left people questioning whether we were sworn enemies anymore. Frankly, I was thinking the same thing.

It was around ten o'clock and it was just after the kids were told lights out when I grabbed a pink hoodie from my cabin and decided to take a walk. It was a bright night out, but the trees made it difficult for the moonlight to be visible through the thick, lush branches. I'd not gotten far before the sound of footsteps behind me caught my attention. I twirled around, being a little too jumpy, only to find Rowan, Michelle's counselor partner, standing there looking scared.

I shook off the glow appearing on my fingers, losing the pink energy ball building up in my hand. "Rowan? What are you doing here?" I asked, creeping close to him.

He smiled. "Sorry, Bloss. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't realize Powerpuff Girls _could_ be scared, actually. I was just . . . I saw you come in here. Thought you might want to walk with someone."

I couldn't help notice the way Rowan looked in the night time. There was a certain dark, ominous shadow over his face, making him sexier. And yes, Rowan was very hot. Not quite _Brick_ hot, but he was probably having trouble keeping women at bay. We dated last summer, but I broke it off when I heard he'd slept with Michelle _while_ we were together.

I didn't want to be rude to him, we had still been friends, so I nodded and let him walk beside me. Deciding to fill the slightly awkwardly silence, I asked, "So, how have you been?"

He shoved his hands into his pocket, shrugging casually. "Pretty good, I suppose. Michelle is a pain in the ass, as usual. But I can't complain." He was silent a moment, looking hesitant about something. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I replied, looking into the darkness.

"Are you and Brick together?"

I nearly stumbled, caught off guard by his question. "Of course not."

"Are you seeing anyone _at_ _all_?"

Another surprising question. He seemed pretty persistent about knowing the status of my relationship. "No. Rowan, what are you getting at here?" He surprised me by taking my hand, gently pulling me along somewhere. "Where are we going?"

"Just trust me," he said simply.

He was my friend, so I did trust him. Not saying another word, I let him pull me along. It wasn't more than a few minutes before we reached another clearing, one like the area the camp grounds were located on. There was a small cabin, no bigger than the counselor's cabin. No lights were on.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, frowning.

"I want to show you something inside. Something I want to give you," Rowan answered, nodding towards the cabin.

He grabbed my hand and we walked inside, his eyes aglow by the moonlight. Something was off about them, something I hadn't been able to identify. The door was unlocked so we stepped inside and Rowan locked it behind us. I hadn't seen him do it, but I heard the lock click. Thanks to my night vision, I watched him feel the wall for the light switch, only to see him be blinded when it was found.

Looking around the cabin, recognition hit me harder than a car. It was the old groundskeeper's cabin. He comes every summer, in the first and last weeks, to fix the camp grounds and maintain them for the kids. It usually took more than a day, so there was a full size bed and refrigerator in a small cabin west of the grounds for him. I'd had the pleasure of meeting him. He was a sweet guy. But being that it was usually locked, only head counselors, such as myself and Rowan, had control of it. And boy had we taken advantage of it last summer.

I met his eyes, now identifying the look in them as lust. "Why are we here, Rowan?"

His only answer to me was taking off his shirt, stepping forward and kissing me tenderly. "Is this enough of an answer for you?"

I pulled back a bit, looking at him with a scowl. "And what makes you think I want to sleep with you?"

His face fell in disappointment and hurt. "I still want you Blossom. You're single, I'm single. We're in the first place we had sex for our first time. What's wrong?"

I pulled out of his arms, taking a step back. "Why would I be with you knowing you cheated on me last time?"

Eyes big with astonishment, he said, "Cheated on you? With who? I never cheated on you!" Having paused a moment, understanding entered his features. "Michelle, right? That little bitch. No wonder you dumped me. Blossom, I'm telling you. I wouldn't sleep with her. She's too disease-ridden for me."

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to see that she was lying about Rowan or that she'd spread the lie in the first place. Something in his features convinced me he was telling the truth. Plus, he was smart enough to not lie to me. I punched the last guy who had done that . . . not a happy thing, being punched by a Powerpuff Girl.

Rowan took hesitant step toward me, slowly wrapping his arms around my waist. When he was sure I wasn't fighting, he delicately pressed his lips to mine. They were smooth and warm. Tasting sweet like honey, but bitter from the cigarettes he'd recently quit doing. It wasn't half bad for a kiss. I felt his hands play at the edge of my shirt, slowly pulling it over my head. Staring at the lace bra I had on, he smiled lustfully and placed me on the bed, kissing my neck affectionately. I moaned softly, letting myself enjoy it, and letting Brick leave my thoughts for the first time in weeks . . .

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><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

I rested on my bed, listening to some of the guy counselors talk about their girlfriends back in Townsville. I had to admit, some of these guys weren't half bad for idiots. They could actually be pretty cool by my standards. But they were just . . . irking to me. Something about them, it just ticked me off. It was times like this I felt the inner Rowdyruff take over and I wanted to hit someone so badly.

I rolled onto my back, trying to ignore them by putting my earbuds in, listening to music. It wasn't long before I had closed my eyes, nearing the edge of sleep. That was, until I heard the soft moaning of a woman. At first I'd thought it was the music, but looking down at the iPod, I realized it had been a heavy metal song, so it had definitely not been that.

The moan sounded again, only a second later had I realized why it sounded familiar. Blossom . . . Not that I personally had experienced hearing her moan, but anyone could guess who moan's owner is.

Her moaning continued, getting thicker, as if it was being muffled. Like from a kiss. It hit me like lighting after that. Blossom was with some guy, here, right now. My anger flared faster than I'd actually had time to process what she was doing. _She was making out with some guy, now, and you're sitting here like a dumbass. _What if she slept with him? Blossom was too good to sleep with someone out of wedlock. Right? She was still a woman with needs though. Oh god, Brick. Get off your fucking ass and stop her!

I had no problems guessing where they'd been. When I had slept with Michelle, which was the biggest mistake of my life by the way, she said she'd had Rowan's head counselor key, and we could do it in some place meant for the groundskeeper. So we did. Nice secluded cabin, big bed, dimming lights for romance. It was all too perfect for teenagers with raging hormones. And the though only fueled my rage all the more. My temper worked like brain cells, moving my feet for me, and out the door I was.

"Brick? Where you goin' man?" one of the counselors called after me, but I was already too far to care.

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><p>Rowan's hands ran down the side of my body, his kisses continuing to fuel the flame of my desires all the more. His slips traced the length of my shoulder, slowly traveling up my neck, across my jawline, and returning to my lips, hungry for more.<p>

"Are you sure?" he murmured against my lips. "I don't want to push you after realizing why you were mad."

I shook my head, careful not to let our lips separate. "I'm fine."

His hands ran down my leg, pulling it around his waist. Slowly, his fingers worked around my bra strap. But before he had the chance to do anything, the door was kicked in, causing both of us to scream. I was rarely scared of anything. Really my fear was really only of failing: at school, at life in general. But the sight I'd seen sure as hell scared me. More than anything ever had before, even more than the time _he_ had come back.

Brick, eyes practically glowing red with fury, stared at us and what we were doing. Getting angrier by the second, he scowled at Rowan. "Get out of here," he growled, his voice low and husky.

Rowan stood up, grabbing his shirt and twirling it, as if to use it as a whip. "You get out. What the fuck is wrong with you, man? We're busy here."

Saying nothing at first, he just stared Rowan down, seeming to get more dark and menacing by the second. He was over to Rowan in three strides, towering over him by a foot, at least. Brick grabbed Rowan by the throat, practically strangling him. Instinct took over and I shot to my feet, prying Brick's hands off his neck.

"Brick, you asshole. Get off him!" I shouted, trying not to let my panic and fear color my voice.

As if my clawing at him did nothing, which my strength usually did, he continued to stare at Rowan, giving him a warning glare. "Get out, stay away from Blossom, or you're dead."

Fear took place of the lust once in Rowan's eyes. It was enough for Brick because he dropped him like nothing, watching him scramble for the door, though he didn't leave.

I just glared at Brick and with so much pent up anger inside me, I felt like I was on fire. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Who the fuck made you my pimp? Who the hell says you get to decide who I am going to sleep with?"

Irritation rising even more inside him, he turned to me, looming over me. "_Me_? What the fuck is wrong with _you_?"

I crossed my arms, furiously. "So you can sleep with the camp skank, but it's not fine for me to sleep with someone I might like? Who the hell made you my boss?"

"Are you kidding me? You _like_ this loser? What's to like?" he snapped, gesturing towards the door where Rowan still now stood.

"The fact he has _temper_ _control_! And doesn't sleep with the first girl to walk into his cabin! Unlike _you_," I growled back, glaring at him.

He glared back, snarling. "What the fuck, Blossom. Okay, so I slept with Michelle. Don't get pissy about it. It's not like it matters!"

My head was aching. I felt like it might explode. I glanced sideways, watching as Rowan observed the show from the door. Meeting Brick's eyes again, I said, "Of course it matters! It doesn't matter that you chose to sleep with someone on the first night? Let alone the one girl here that has more STDs than a medical journal! You're such a prick, Brick. God!"

"She meant nothing to me! You know that! I only did it to piss you off! Because I didn't care about you then!" His anger was causing him to yell so loud, his voice thick and husky, that I nearly missed his last statement. "It's because I care about you that I cut in like this." His voice lowered a moment, dark and ominous. "And I'm gonna make sure nothing happens!"

Unsure what he meant, I opened my mouth to ask, but he cut me off by grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder like a rag doll. Shrieking in surprise, I pounded on his back. "Brick! You asshole! Put me the fuck down!"

Not saying a word, he reached onto the bed and grabbed my shirt, which I'd only just realized I wasn't wearing anymore. I would have blushed if it weren't for the fact I were already red as hell from anger. His took off, out the door at sonic speed, the typical way us super-powered humans usually traveled. Within five seconds, we were back at my cabin and I'd been thrown on my bed. The girl counselors screamed in shock as they watched the scenario unfold, just as Rowan had. Brick threw my shirt at me.

"Here, you fucking whore," he snarled, eyes still glowing dangerously. "You stay here, before I _really_ get pissed off."

His ordering me around again only set off my already high temper. I shot to my feet, practically chest to chest with him. "Who the hell says I have to listen to you? I'm _your_ superior here, not the other way around. If I were a spiteful bitch, I'd have your ass thrown in jail right now! What the fuck makes you think I'll listen to you? You're not my father and you're _not my boyfriend_! I don't have to do shit you say!"

His expression hardened, anger leaving his eyes, only to be replaced by pain. "Stay here and stay away from him."

"Or what?"

Without hesitation, he whispered, "I've been trying to kill you for the past thirteen years. I'll do it then if you see that pathetic bastard again."

Something in his tone, something that was so very menacing and almost so threatening it made me cower, I realized he was serious. Backing away from him, I watched him with careful eyes as he glared at me. "Get away from me, you asshole. I hate you!"

If he didn't look pained before, it was even more than evident now. His ragged breathing slowed and he stomped out, slamming the door of my cabin, as well as his, behind him. There was a loud crash and the girls, who'd I'd forgotten had been there, screamed and ran over to the window to see the damage.

I sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the shirt now scrunched up in my fist. My breathing was rapid and sharp. It _hurt_ to breath. Every second that passed made my tears stronger and they slowly streaked down my face.

Karla, the blonde counselor that slept on the top bunk of my bed, was kneeling beside me in a second. "Blossom? What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened," Michelle stepped in. Crossing her arms, a smirk on her face, she said, "Little miss perfect over here just got busted by Brick and he was not happy. Who were you trying to sleep with? Hmm?"

I couldn't speak, my tears blurring my vision. Karla pat my knee reassuringly. "Who was it?"

"Rowan," I muttered.

Before Michelle could even speak, knowing she would make a sassy or sarcastic comment about it, I'd stomped over to her and socked her in the face, creating yet another uproar of screams. She fell back, nose bleeding. Had I been calmer, I would have cared that she merely had a broken nose from a hit that would have killed a normal human. But I was too pissed to. Slipping my shirt back on, I stormed out of the cabin, walking right passed a glaring Brick at his window and into the mess hall. I sat at one of the tables, rested my head on my arms, and just cried. For the first time of my life, I was crying because of _Brick_.


	10. Chapter 9: Confessions

Michelle had spent the night in the infirmary, treating her broken nose. So it was a quiet night. All the other girls had felt sympathy for me, saying how men sucked, no matter how good or bad they were. After having cried myself to sleep over anger and humiliation, I managed to hide it fairly well the next morning. The concealer Karla had lent me covered the bags and dark circles and a little blush from my own collection added color to my face. But it didn't take away the ache in my stomach. I didn't let it bother me though.

Rowan had avoided me all day, especially if Brick was within twenty feet or in sight at all. But he did pass me an apologetic smile occasionally. I didn't blame him at all for what had happened and I felt sorry for him that he had to deal with it. It was all Brick's fault and that fact just made the ache in my stomach worse.

It was around lunch time when Brick and I made any contact with each other at all. I'd been sitting in the main office, signing some paperwork when Bill, Brick's police escort over the duration of his stay here, barged in. He had Brick cuffed and was pulling him by the arm.

"Miss Utonium-, I mean, Blossom, uh, ma'am," he said nervous, never having actually talked to a girl of my age and power. "I-I found Brick. He confessed to having vandalized his cabin."

My eyes never leaving Brick's, I asked, "What did he do exactly?"

"He broke his bed, right in half. Apparently he, and the boy bunking above him, had to sleep on the floor last night. Should I take him in?"

Brick broke our eye contact, staring at the wall in anger. I didn't know whether to feel triumphant about that or unhappy. "No, Bill. That won't be necessary. It was my fault. I angered him and let him go off. I'll make sure he pays for the bed."

Looking between me and Brick, he nodded hesitantly but uncuffed him anyway. Rubbing his wrists, Brick watched as Bill nodded farewell to us both and walked out. There was an awkward moment of silence before anyone of us had the chance to speak. "Thanks for covering for me," he said simply, though not without a curt undertone.

I shrugged. "No problem. One thing though, how did you manage to break the bed right in half?" He simply stared, unwilling to answer my question. "Fine then, be an asshole when I'm trying to make conversation." I closed the file I'd been working on walked away from the desk, passing him without making eye contact.

He did nothing for a moment, but eventually followed me, easily keeping pace. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have flipped out like that."

"You're right. You shouldn't have." I couldn't stop the bitter tone from entering my voice.

He waited, hoping I'd say something more, but when I never did, he continued. "I'll pay for the bed. Just let me know the cost." And he started to walk away.

Suddenly, guilt overtook me. Sighing heavily as I pinched the bridge of my nose, I turned and forced myself to speak. "I'm sorry too." He paused, looking at me from over his shoulder. "I . . . I didn't mean it when I said that stuff. I don't . . . I don't hate you." I couldn't not apologize. This had to be the first time in my life I had ever heard _him _do it, so I felt it was my obligation to do so.

Turning on his heels, slowly he walked back to me. I expected him to say something, but instead, Brick grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a hug. I was frozen at first, unsure how to react to him touching me at all, let alone affectionately. But my arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Hand softly stroking my hair, his lips went to my ear and he whispered, "I have something of yours."

Pulling back to let him reach into his shirt pocket, he pulled something shiny out and it jingled as he did so. Only when he put it around my wrist did I realize it was the bracelet he and "Maddie" had given me. "What the . . . but where did you get it?"

He stared at the bracelet for a moment, before looking up and shrugging. "Found it outside your cabin this morning."

I made no remark as to his purpose outside my cabin, too perplexed as to how I lost this to begin with. Stuttering a moment, I managed to say, "I guess I dropped it yesterday when . . . you know."

His eyes said it all. He remembered perfectly. "Well, um, I should go. Rent-A-Cop says I gotta clean up the mess I made of the bed."

I couldn't help laughing. "Probably a smart idea. I'll call Sleepy's now and you and your bunk mate will have a new bed by tomorrow."

"Good." He smiled and backed up, slowly turning and walking away.

God, my head was killing me. I felt like I might pass out. God, I'd just hugged Brick. _He'd_ just hugged _me!_ I didn't know whether to smile or beat myself. I had to stop this. He was a Rowdyruff, for heaven's sake! He'd threatened to kill me just last night! And he was only here because of his desire to torture and kill you. GET OVER HIM, BLOSSOM! He's all wrong for you!

As much as my inner voice was right, it pained me to think about it. I don't know why, but it pained me to think about his _ever_ leaving, let alone when these six months were up. But I had to get over him, I had to. After last night, I realized it. If it killed me just being mad at him, what would happen when we went back to the real world and tried killing each other again? I'd get myself killed, that's what. He'd have no problem returning to our normal habits after this, but I couldn't. Not after realizing how I felt about him. I couldn't bring myself to hit him. I'd get myself killed and I'd leave my sister leaderless. I couldn't do that to them. I'd do whatever it takes to get over him. To protect the Powerpuff Girls.

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

Brick, you idiot. Fucking dumbass. Why did you just hugged her?

"_Shut the fuck up, voice in my head,"_ I thought to myself.

I was compelled to hug her. I wanted to. And it felt good to do it. I had to, after how I'd reacted yesterday. It's a good thing she'd not meant the "I hate you" after you acting like a total ass. I was so rude and not to mention the fact I embarrassed her like that.

But God, the pain I felt when she said she hated me . . . it was worse than any hit she'd ever delivered. I couldn't breathe after that, not for hours. Hence the rage burst I'd had, ultimately leading to the broken bed.

But I never thought in a million years she'd say those words, not meaning them as she had. And when she'd said them in the past, well, I'd never cared about her this much.

"You fucking dumbass. You can't care about her. She's a fucking Powerpuff," I muttered aloud, practically pulling my hair out.

This was ridiculous. Here I was, pacing around my cabin, worrying about how I'd hurt her. I used to sit around for hours each day finding ways _to hurt her!_ Now it caused me physical pain to even consider it! What the fuck was wrong with me? I never liked a girl before, not like romantically at least. Lusted, yes, liked, no. But even I was smart enough to know that these feelings were _not_ normal for liking a girl.

This was a whole other level. I couldn't be . . . no, no way. Could . . . could I . . . _love her_? No fucking way. I couldn't. There was no way I could. It was against nature. She was good, a Powerpuff Girl, the shining, golden beacon of the city. And I was a Rowdyruff. The _leader _of the Rowdyruff Boys, of all things. It went against the order of things to like her, let alone ever love her. I couldn't love her.

No, I couldn't do this. As much as it pained me to think it, I had to get over her. I would get myself killed liking her. If we lapsed back into our old patterns, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her, whereas she'd kill me in a second to defend her sisters. I couldn't risk my brothers like that. I had to get over her . . . if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

><p>It was fairly normal again after things had been discussed with Brick and me. But the getting over him part? <em>Not <em>working. I had a hard time not looking at him let alone not thinking about him. How on earth was I supposed to get over him if my mind kept going back to him? It was so frustrating! If you told me months ago I would be fretting about trying to get over _Brick_, I would have laughed in your face. But now look at me!

I sat in my cabin, shortly after lights out, and tried as hard as I could to find a way to get over him. But he didn't make it easy for me. I couldn't help thinking back to the times where he had been so sweet and so . . . not Brick. The soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts. Expecting Bill to come to me with Brick in cuffs again, I was startled to see that it _was _Brick, only he was alone and smiling at me.

Frowning and trying to get my heart to stop tap-dancing, I covertly glanced around to make sure that he really _was_ alone. "Brick? Uh . . . what-?"

"Come on a walk with me," he said, cutting me off. I was about to object, but he walked, smiling over his shoulder as he did. "Come on," he called.

Without another moment of hesitation, I quickly closed the door and easily caught up with him. I shoved my hands into my back pocket and casually walked beside him. "What's up? You need to talk about something?" A simple a head shake from him made me just the more confused. "Well, did Bill threaten to arrest you again?" Another head shake. "Than what's wrong?"

Laughing, Brick smiled and shrugged. "Can't I just want to take a walk?"

"Since when do you walk with a Powerpuff Girl? Alone? At night?"

He met my eyes and smirked. "Since now."

Walking through the trees in silence, the moon seemed to actually shine through today, setting his fair skin aglow. It was like staring at the face of an angel. I mentally slapped myself. Shut up, Blossom. Get over him remember?

I shoved the angelic picture of him out of my mind. It didn't fit anyway. Unless he was a fallen angel, come here to tempt me. I mentally slapped myself again. "So . . ." he watched me from the corner of his eye, curious to what I'd say . . . but for all the intellect I had, I had nothing. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

He laughed. "Yes, it is actually." He smirked, watching me. "Cold?"

I hadn't realized I was shivering until he asked. I had forgotten my jacket in the rush to catch up with him. Before I could respond, he'd wriggled out of his red hoodie and held it open for me to put on. Unsure at first, I nodded and slipped into it, having to push back the sleeves to even get close to the ends. It was at least three sizes too big for me. "Thanks," I said.

He nodded and walked close beside me, not looking cold in the least, despite it being ice cold here at night, and him standing around in baggy blue jeans and a red and black muscle tee.

Looking at him, I felt a sudden rush of heat go to my head and a sharp pain, worse than any migraine could ever be. I gasped, holding my head, as if it would reduce the pain. But it hadn't. "Blossom?" he asked anxiously.

I leaned against the closest tree, feeling as if I might collapse. "God! My head!"

After a moment of agony, the pain subsided and I slid against the tree, sitting down. I was suddenly exhausted. He was next to me in a flash, kneeling on the ground beside me. "Blossom? Are you alright? Should I take you to the infirmary?"

I just stared at him, unable to respond to that. There was such a look of concern in his eyes. So much it was like watching an angel want to cry. He took my hands, helping me to my feet. Slowly shaking my head, I murmured, "I'm fine, I think."

"Are you sure? Are you hurt?" Brick pressed, still looking beyond worried.

Again with the niceness? He inched forward, nervous about my health. I held my hands up, pushing him back, or at least, getting him to stop moving closer. I needed to get over him!

"Stop!" I snapped, hardly even thinking of my sudden episode anymore.

Eyes huge with surprise, he tilted his head to the side. "Stop what?"

"Being nice!" I blurted out. "God, I can't take it anymore!"

"What . . . ? My being nice is a problem now?" His temper sparked. "Isn't that what the fuck you wanted? For me to be good?"

"Yes, it was. It's just . . ." I pressed my palm to my forehead, headache forming. "You're making it too difficult. I can't take your being nice. It just . . . it does things to me. It has to stop."

This only proved to infuriate him _and_ confused him. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you drunk or something?"

I glared up at him. "No, that's Butch's job. I'm fine. You're the problem. I'm trying to get over you and you're being Mr. Nice Guy. You make it too difficult to get over you."

He was frozen in shock, his mind still stuck on the words "get over you". "Wait . . . you like me?" he asked slowly, still trying to comprehend what I just said.

I forced myself to stand up straight, without wobbling or stumbling. "Yes . . . but it has to stop, this isn't natural. It's against the laws of physics for us. We-" But he'd cut me off by taking my face in his hands and kissing me fiercely.

I'd been too frozen at first to register what he was doing, but then my body took over and I kissed him back. Arms instinctively wrapping around his neck, I locked my fingers in his now slight shag of cherry red hair, pulling him ever closer to me. He was so sweet, like honey and strawberry. A bitter sweet taste that drove me insane. His hand caressed my hair as he cupped my face. I don't know how long we'd been like that, it felt like hours. But eventually, he pulled back, both of us breathing heavy.

"I'm sorry," he panted, staring deeply into my eyes. "It's just . . . God, you have no idea how long I hoped you'd say that."

I laughed breathlessly. "You have no idea how long I prayed you'd do _that_."

Laughing along with me, he pressed his lips to mine once more, though this time gentler, savoring each moment. His hands went around my waist, locking me to him. Our bodies fit together too perfectly. My heart raced faster than any other point in my life and I thought it would stop all together. His lips traveled the length of my jaw, slowly going down to my neck. My breath came in rapid gasps and I felt him smirk against my skin. Only then did I realize what I'd been doing. I shoved him with super strength, sending him back a good ten feet at least, though he didn't fall.

Looking hurt and stunned, he quickly was back at my side. "Blossom? What is it?"

I was sure I was shaking. "Stop, stay away from me. I can't do it."

"Can't do what?" he asked.

"_This_! All of this, the kissing, the laughing, the wanting you. I just . . . I can't." I felt the tears slowly streak down my face.

"Why? I thought-"

"I do. I really do. But this can't work. You're a Rowdyruff, I'm a Powerpuff Girl. You were created to _kill _me, not _be with me._ We are going completely against nature doing this, wanting this." I was full out sobbing now. God, _who_ was the fearless leader of the Powerpuffs who never cried? Because it certainly wasn't me at the moment.

Fighting a smirk, he took a few more steps to me and I instinctively backed up, only to ram into a tree. Before I could go anywhere, his arm snaked its way around my waist and, pulling me to him, pinned me between him and the tree. "You really don't think that, do you?"

"Yes, I do. Because it's true," I said, sounding whiny even to my own ears. "What about when your six months are over? You'll be with your brothers and back to your old ways. We'll lapse back into our old habits. You won't think twice about killing me, I would about you though. And that's gonna get me killed. That's gonna ruin my sisters and put them at risk. I can't jeopardize my sisters. Not for this, not for us."

His eyes glassed over and for the first time in my life, it looked like he wanted to cry. "Do you honestly think I could hurt you after all we've been through these past weeks?"

"I don't know," I murmured.

He stroked my cheek, cupping my chin in his hand to meet his eyes, something I'd been avoiding as best I could. "Blossom . . ." he whispered. "You have no idea what you've done to me since that day in court." Brick's lips brushed mine, as light as a feather; his lips brushed my face delicately, nose to nose. "God, you have no idea what you do to me."

"I could say the same about you."

He pressed his lips to mine briefly. "It goes beyond that. You've changed me . . . you make me want to be good."

"But it's not enough, is it? You'll always be more loyal to your brothers. As will I with my sisters." My heart throbbed painfully as I stared into his eyes, reading the answer in them.

I managed to slide out from under his arm and back up, creating a large space between us.

"Blossom . . . please." A low whisper. A painful whisper.

It took all I had to back away further as his steps toward me grew larger. "I can't."

I took off, leaving Brick alone and hurt.


	11. Chapter 10: Something I Can Never Say

**Due to the many requests via email and reviews, I am going to post a few days early. Okay, a lot early, being that it's only been like three days. Lol. Anyway, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! :D enjoy! **

* * *

><p>My head hurt less and less the further I got from Brick. Though the pain lessened, my mind was still reeling from what had just transpired and my lips were aching for his kiss again. What had just happened? <em>He kissed you, that's what happened!<em> I wanted to faint; my head was spinning with confusion and getting more jumbled by the second. Why had I let that happen? Why didn't I _continue_? I just left him there. God, he had to be confused. But I couldn't stand it. I would have done something stupid and put my sisters in jeopardy.

For the first time in my life, I hid without having a life-or-death situation imminent, merely unsure how to face Brick. Shortly after having left him alone in the forest, I retreated and hid in the confines of my cabin with Karla. She and I had always been friendly, but after the fiasco with Brick and me in the cabin, we'd grown to be closer. Sharing horror stories of boyfriends, and just generally talking, I realized she was pretty cool.

I sat on my bed, telling her of what happened, practically out of breath thinking about it. We both jumped in surprise when a hard knock sounded at the door, almost sounding mad. "Blossom, open up. I know you're in there!" Brick called from outside the door.

"Oh my God, please no," I whispered to myself.

Karla squealed with glee. "Oh this is so romantic! It's like Romeo and Juliet!"

Standing up to answer the door, I quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. I didn't want to speak, at risk he'd pick it up. Thankfully, a simple pleading head shake was suffice enough for her. Pushing me under the bed, I watched her go to the door, only to hear it be slammed open.

"Blossom, I know you're here." Brick's heavy footsteps marched around the room, looking in the bathroom, shower, everywhere. "I could have sworn I heard . . . Sorry to bother you, uh-"

"Karla, Blossom's bunkmate," Karla said, surprising me with the cool, sarcastic tone to her voice. I hadn't expected her to have the guts to take such a tone with _Brick_, of all people. "Nice to see the big bad Rowdyruff has returned. Barging in is a good start. Try robbing the cafeteria next, that will bring your mojo back."

There was a thick silence following her sarcasm. The intense pressure practically strangled me. "Brick 'Rowdyruff' is dead," Brick said darkly. "He died the day he fell for Blossom." And the footsteps receded, disappearing out the door.

I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. Karla pulled at my legs, sliding me out from under the bed. She hovered over me, looking remarkably like a skyscraper as I simply laid there, unsure what to do anymore. After a painfully long silence, I actually managed to form a coherent thought into words.

"What am I gonna do, Karla?" I asked, panic rising in my chest. "I've never hid from a villain before. I've never been this helpless before."

She sighed and knelt beside me. "Girl, you've never been in love before." And that's all she said, silently standing up and walking over to the bed to read.

"I'm not in love," I said simply.

"Uh-huh. And my name is Dolly Parton." She lowered the magazine, watching as I got off the floor. "Just face him. You're gonna have to eventually. He's your counselor partner; he'll be with you all day tomorrow. Believe me, these types of stories always end badly, but seeing as how you have superpowers, it could end well for you two."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh that's comforting."

She popped her gum and smirked, staring down at the gossip magazine. "Happy to help, babe."

I fell onto the bed, groaning into my pillow. That night, I slept peacefully, though I was mentally exhausted the next morning. I'd finally understood how Brick felt and voiced my own feelings . . . but it only caused tension between the two of us. I couldn't look at him the next morning, afraid I'd go up and kiss him again right then and there.

xxx

I stood at the table with the kids the next morning, hoping that the day would start before Brick and I had time to talk nonsense. But fate was not on my side today. Brick walked in as I was taking attendance of our kids. His hand went to my hip, lips to my ear. "We need to talk eventually," he murmured.

God, why did he have to do this now? Why couldn't he go back to asshole Brick, the Rowdyruff I hated? I turned to him, nearly stumbling back when I saw his face still inches from mine. Pulling away, I forced myself to keep a composed façade on, not wanting to draw attention to us. Unfortunately, the kids were too focused on us already. Wonderful, an audience.

Taking a breath, I pulled out my Powerpuff Leader persona. "Brick, enough. There's nothing to discuss."

He took my hand and pulled me a few feet away, out of hearing range of the kids and most of the counselors. "Yes, I think there is actually. You can't just tell me how you feel and expect me to walk away, knowing I feel the same."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed, deeply irritated. "Brick . . . I can't. We can't. I told you, it's not natural. This isn't one of Bubbles' paranormal romance novels. It's contradicting everything that's ever happened between us and our families and-and . . ."

He took a step forward, a smirk on his face. He stroked my face, seductively saying, "Now you really don't want me to stop, do you?" Arm snaking around my waist, he pulled me against him. "Is us not being together really what you want?"

I nodded, unable to find my voice at first. "Yes," I managed to get out.

His lips went to my ear, slowly brushing the length of my jaw. He kissed my shoulder and up to my neck. "Is that really what you want?" he murmured, voice husky and too sexy for his own good. I nodded, unable to speak. Lips traveling to my ear, he nibbled before whispering, "Are you absolutely sure?"

It took all I had to nod and say yes. But he'd always been a persistent jerk. And that was no different now. Pulling back to look at me a moment, his lips met mine, killing all self-control I had left. It was a soft kiss, but something about it showed he was hungry for more, though willing to wait. Pulling back to look at me, I felt like I would die if he didn't kiss me again within a few seconds. Brick's signature smirk grew, looking pleased with himself. "I'm not one to beg, you know that. But will it help me to beg now?" Not waiting for an answer, his lips returned to mine briefly. "Give us a chance," he whispered seductively.

"What about-?" But worry over my sisters was brought to an abrupt halt.

Cut off by another sexy kiss, he murmured against my lips, "Forget them. Maybe this will bring an end to the fighting. It's worth a shot, right? I'm good, I want to be good. You make that happen in me. Why aren't you happy about that?"

I smiled against his lips. "I am." Pulling away to look at him, I felt a pang of agony inside me at the pain in his eyes. "I just . . . what if something happens?"

The pain was replaced by a seriousness that threw me. "Then we'll get passed it. Just give us a chance, Blossom. Just one chance."

I nodded and kissed him again, letting my arms go around his neck. It was a brief kiss, having been cut off by the sound of clipboards dropping. Pulling away abruptly, I turned and saw all the kids and counselors had been watching us, faces torn between excitement and utter disbelief. Brick smirked beside me, still pleased I'd given him his opportunity to have an "us". I, on the other hand, was frozen in terror. This is what I'd feared. What if they didn't approve?"

"So," counselor Kyle started. "Is he good?"

Face bright red I'm sure, I turned to look up at Brick, not having to think twice about it. "He's good," I said simply.

Slowly but surely, everyone returned to their business, until the only people watching us was our own group of kids. Brick and I walked back over to them. All stared, smirks and surprise on their faces. "We so saw this coming," they said in sync.

Maddie reached up, begging Brick to carry her. Laughing, he lifted her into his arms. Kissing his cheek, she asked, "Is Brick happy now dat he has Bwossom?"

I felt my face get hot, trying as hard as I could to focus on the clipboard in my hand. I could see him watching me from the corner of my eye, loving the smile on his face.

"Yes, Maddie," he answered. "Brick is very happy."

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

I watched Blossom as she explained the rules of basketball to the kids, especially the younger ones. It was as if the weather reflected my mood because I couldn't have been happier and neither could this day have been any more beautiful.

She stood there, watching the kids start the game on the basketball court outside, laughing as they ran around with the ball. Amused, she said, "Not exactly how the game goes, but fair enough."

I snuck up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She was so soft, her skin smooth as I brushed my lips against her neck. She giggled at the feeling, fighting to break my grip, but I'd always been the stronger one (even if she didn't want to admit it). "What, you don't like this?" I asked playfully, nuzzling her neck.

She giggled, fighting to say, "It tickles." Grinning against her skin, I kissed her neck, causing her to tilt her neck back and giggle once more. "Stop! That tickles!"

"What are you going to do about it?" I teased, but stopping the kissing. "You gonna fight me?"

Smiling up at me from over her shoulder, she silenced me with a kiss and it worked like a charm. I practically melted, not that I would never actually admit that. Tongue-tying me, I smiled down at her, wishing over and over again I could bring myself to say something that was not meant to ever be said between the two of us. _God, you have no idea how much I love you._

"You okay?" she asked, nervousness in her eyes. "You got really quiet there for a second."

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. You just bewitched me. Had me under your trance, again."

My words brought a smile back to her lips and she kissed me once more. Wrapping her arm around my neck from behind, she smiled against my lips, and I couldn't help say it again in my mind. _God, you have no idea how much I really, really love you._


	12. Chapter 11: Unnatural

"Bubbles, I still don't understand why you haven't been able to call. I mean, you're senior friends are asleep have the time, you said so yourself, so I don't see how a phone call was totally impossible to fit in."

"_I sorry," _my blue eyed, falsely guiltless sounding sister said. "_Boomer and I have been busy . . ."_ Something in her words, the way her sentence hung in the air, it practically screamed that she was holding something back.

"Bubbles, is there something you want to tell me?"

"_Nothing, nothing. I've just been busy," _she said, attempting to conceal her lies with innocence. "_Should we call Buttercup, this would be a good chance to fit a three way call in. First one all summer."_

"But that's not of our choosing," I muttered to myself. And then, as if an electric current had run through me, the little light bulb in my head went off. "Actually, that's definitely a good idea."

I quickly put in Buttercup's cell number, tapping my fingers against my thigh rhythmically to pass the time.

"_Hey, what's up, B.?" _ A faint giggle was heard from Buttercup's side of the phone.

"Did we interrupt something, BC?"

Bubbles giggled. "_I think we did, Blossom. BC, how does Butch feel about you shacking up with someone on his time? Has me met your new bed buddy?"_

"_Bubbles! Bitch, do you not know how to drop in and say hi?"_

"Ah, I can feel the love already," I said sarcastically over the bitter bickering between my sisters on the phone. "Will you two stop fighting already? Blossom, Bubbles was busy, she didn't mean to not make contact."

"_Yeah! So",_ we heart the muffled sound of what could only be assumed was her sticking her tongue out.

"_Bubbles, I don't think they can tell you're sticking your tongue out,"_ Boomer remarked in the background.

"Hey Boomer," I greeted him.

"_Blossom, Buttercup,_" he greeted casually in return. "_I hope my brothers aren't entirely on the brink of death yet."_

"Actually, surprisingly no. Er, well, Brick isn't. Is Butch even still alive Buttercup?"

There was a silent moment before Butch called, "_Yo,_" into the phone. "_What's good Blossy, Blue."_

"_Butch? Is that you man?" _Boomer said, evidently now holding the phone as if he had been part of the conversation all along.

"_Boom! It's good to hear from ya man! I missed you bro. Hey, Pinky, is my boy there? Mind if we talk to him?"_

I hadn't been really listening, staring up at Brick as he lay beside me, his arm under my head as a pillow on the bed. His eyes twinkled as they stared at the skin of my shoulder, his fingers tracing little designs on from my tank top strap to my elbow. A small smile formed on his face as I watched him take the phone from my outstretched hand, seeming almost hesitant I noticed. "Hey, Butch, Boomer. How have you been?"

* * *

><p><em>Brick's POV:<em>

"_Brick!" _my brothers greeted happily through the phone. "_What's good, man?"_

And without effort, the two had jumped into a conversation of welcomes and reconnections. I hadn't heard their cheerful banter, too distracted by Blossom's having pulled away from my hold on her, mouthing that she would leave me to chat with my brothers. Without thinking, I quickly reached out and pulled her back by the waist, her giggling filling her cabin as she struggled not to fall. And, like nothing, she sighed defeated and curled up into my embrace.

"_Brick? Was that Blossom giggling?"_ Boomer asked, his voice bringing me back to reality.

"What? NO-I mean yes. She's with some counselor guy from the camp. I'm stuck watching her play happy couple." No need to clarify that the "some counselor" had been me, and I was doing a lot more than watch her play happy couple.

There was a nervous silence from my brothers before Boomer replied once more. "_Brick, is there something you wanna share with your little brothers?"_ I was too stunned to hear him identify Butch and himself as my "little" brothers. I was all too aware they hated that, and enjoyed using it quite often.

"_I knew there was something fishy about our last phone call! There's something going on with you two isn't there?"_

"Enough!" I snapped unintentionally. "I am still your leader. Do not question me or what I say."

"_Yes, Brick," _they harmonized quickly.

I stared down at Blossom, my heart aching at the somber, almost hurt look in her eyes as she stared at the hem of my shirt she had been wrapping her fingers in and out of mindlessly. She didn't meet my eyes, but I could tell she was upset. And that is when my remark had hit me. I had, in fact, denied having any relationship with her when she was right beside me. Oh how that must have made her feel, to know I didn't want my brothers to know about us being together, like she were an embarrassment or something of the sorts.

"_Brick? He-lloooo?"_ Butch called, bringing my attention back to the phone.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go. I hope I talk to you soon. Peace," and I hung up the phone, despite the objections of my brothers.

Blossom didn't meet my eyes as she asked gravely. "Why did you do that? You don't know when you'll be able to talk to them again."

"I've made it two and a half months since seeing them, I can wait until the follow up court date to see them again. It's only three more weeks." As I did the math in my head, I began to realize that it had been nearly three weeks as well since Blossom and myself having given us a chance, and so far, neither have us had yet to tell our families. What did that say? "You're what's important right now. I'm-"

"You're hesitant about telling your brothers," she said plainly. "That's why you haven't told them yet. Don't worry," she met my eyes. "I'm just as nervous. This isn't exactly a relationship that comes with a How-To book. I think our type of situation is one best suited to be announced face to face. And you're right, it's less than three weeks away, we've hidden it just as long, we can keep it a secret a little longer."

I wasn't blind to the hurt in her voice, but she was right. She had been just as silent to her sisters as I had been to my brothers. This wasn't an exact science. We were messing with the balance and, well, "Good and Evil" when you get to the bare facts. But, what I couldn't understand about her was whether it was her sister's reaction to us was what frightened her, or societies. No one outside the damn near isolated camp knew of our relationship, or that we were even no longer enemies. Was that what scared her? What society would think of her "sleeping with the enemy", for lack of better terms? Though, we were certainly not quite that far into the relationship, despite my hormonal and pride's protests.

A naughty grin spread across my face, only bringing a calmer one to hers. "Well, let me show you something _I'm not_ hesitant about doing," and without warning, I propped myself into my elbows on top of her, our faces now inches apart. Her giggles blew the sweet smell of her mint and bubble gum breath into my face, sending my thoughts and hormones into a frenzy.

As if by gravitational pull, our lips found their way to each other without ease, and we lost ourselves in the intensity of the kiss. Lips warm and sweet, her warm breath slipped into my mouth and I could practically taste her minty tooth paste, the overworked senses only adding to the carnal of the kiss. My hands found their way under the hem of her shirt, though I was smart enough to not play the role of Hormonal Jackass and pull it up. I allowed my fingers to trace little circles on her smooth skin, the tickling sensation only making her laugh against my lips.

And, cutting off mid laugh, her eyes went huge and a strangled gasp escaped her lips before they were followed by a blood curdling scream. I was quick to get off her, and she fell from the bed as she gripped at her head. "My head!" she cried in agony. "It hurts!"

"Blossom? Baby, what's wrong?"

She screamed again, curling into the fetal position as she clung to her head. "It hurts, the voices!"

At that moment, the door swung open with a bang, and Rowan, Kyle, and Seraphina (the middle aged owner of the camp) all stared between me and the shrieking Blossom on the floor.

"What the hell did you do?" Rowan asked, going to kneel beside her.

"I didn't do shit! Back off, kid." I nudged him aside and scooped Blossom into my arms, her hands never leaving her ears. "I'm taking her to the infirmary."

"What happened, Brick?" Seraphina asked.

"I don't know. We were kissing and she suddenly started screaming. 'It hurts, the voices!' she said."

"Brick, make it stop! Make it stop!" Blossom cried again, tears streaking down her face. "The voices won't go away!"

"Get out of the fucking way, I'm taking her to the infirmary!" I snapped, pushing past Seraphina and the two counselors.

We stepped through the threshold of the door, and as if by magic, her eyes opened, tears slowly subsiding. "Wait," she said breathless. "It stopped."

I froze in my tracks, watching her with bewildered eyes. "The voices? Or the pain?"

"Both," she clarified. With a heavy sigh, she collapsed into my arms, gripping my shirt with relief apparent on her face. "Thank god."

"What the hell was that?" I asked the three that had been following me, all their eyes staring between the door of the cabin and her.

"It just stopped," Kyle said bluntly.

"No shit, Sherlock," Rowan retorted with heavy sarcasm.

"Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!" I snapped, silencing the bickering counselors. I stared down at the panting, faintly moist Blossom. "What happened?"

"Put me down," she said, her voice almost ominous.

"What-"

"Put me down," she repeated, her eyes hazed over. Everyone exchanged glances as I set her back on her feet. And without a word, she walked back into her cabin, and sat to read some magazine she grabbed without looking.

"What the fuck was that?"

They all gave me equally perplexed shrugs, giving Blossom a brief glance before walked back to the main building.

"Brick? Where did you go?" she called, her voice back to that feminine, rather perky tone I had grown accustomed to.

I quickly made my way back into the cabin, staring at her as she lie in the bed staring between the opened magazine and me, her brows furrowed in incomprehension. To be honest, my mind was lost at how surprisingly adorable her expression was, like a little girl staring at multiplication for the first time.

"Brick, how did you get outside? We're we just . . ." her voice trailed as she tried to wrap her mind around what was transpiring. "I could have sworn."

"We were," I started, settling myself on the edge of the bed beside her. "You started screaming and crying about voices and your head hurting."

As if she suddenly realized the headache, her hand went to her temple. "Is that why my head hurts? God, I thought it was just me going crazy. I've never had headaches."

"Blossom, what the fuck just happened? Do you seriously not remember any of it?" I sure as hell did. My mind's eye couldn't shake the image of a scared, crying Blossom in my arms, or the sound of that scream. It was a cross between demonic and a frightened little girl. The moment it reached my ears, I felt it shake my very soul, the sound frightening me more than anything in my entire life. And, here she was, absolutely fine, as if it never happened. Could she really not remember the screaming or the pain?

"No," she replied with a soft headshake. "I can't remember anything. I don't understand."

What on earth had just happened? That was certainly something unnatural, even for us. "Yeah, that makes two of us . . ."


	13. Chapter 12: Betrayal

**A/N: WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR INNOCENT OF MIND! *faints* (not really, but my friend thinks I should because it nearly gave her a heart attack. lol)**

Brick's POV:

"Blossom." She stared up from our adjoined hands as they swung between us. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I don't see why you're worrying! It's been a week and everyone else has forgotten!" she said, her voice teasing.

My arms wrapped around her as we walked through the woods, the moonlight illuminating her skin like an angel. "Everyone else isn't your boyfriend."

She moaned softly as I pressed my lips to the crook of her neck. "Hmm, I like the sound of that."

"Sound of what?"

"'Boyfriend', my Rowdyruff Boyfriend. Surprisingly, that sounds a lot better than I had always thought it would . . . not I was thinking it before this whole parole thing. It's so weird to know we have only about a week and a half left before you have your follow up court date, and the end of this camp. I keep expecting you to bust out and resume your old Rowdyruff ways. This is so strange for me, so different."

If I'm being honest, it did sound good. Though it hadn't been the first time I was someone's "boyfriend", it was the first time I was one to someone good, a Powerpuff girl of all people. I mentally slapped myself, having to remember she wasn't just a Powerpuff anymore, and the Rowdyruff in me was long gone. Nevertheless, if I was being honest with myself, I missed the Rowdyruff in me a bit. It was all I had ever known, and ever cared for. In past days, I felt an all too familiar itch to do something, well, rowdy.

"On the other hand," she said, interrupting my thoughts. We came into a clearing, and the sweet, Blossom-like smile I was getting so fond of morphed into something sexy and seductive, all too suggestive. "Just because you're not a _Rowdyruff_ anymore, per se, doesn't mean we can't still be a little rowdy."

My ears perked up like a dog as she held up to a small set of keys. "The custodian's cabin . . ."

She stared at me as she turned to wrap her arms around me from inside my jacket. The look in her eyes, hunger and desire, it was something I had never personally seen in my counterpart's eyes. It went against everything I had ever thought Blossom to be like_. Seducing a Rowdyruff?_ Never something I would have been able to predict of her.

Her suggestive smirk grew with each second as she pressed her lips to mine. "You sound so surprised," she added teasingly. "It's not as if I'm a nun. I do have teenage tendencies that surface and overpower the austere, somber façade I so commonly am associated with."

Well this was certainly one way to quench that rowdy thirst I so strongly was feeling. "Let's go," I said without hesitation.

Blossom took the key and unlocked the door, pulled me in by the bottom of my shirt. Locking the door behind us, we let ourselves have at each other, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Lips seeming to find each other like gravity, her body pressed softly against mine as I lowered her to the bed. I could practically see the lust and plea in her eyes as I pulled back to smile at her. This was _definitely_ not the Blossom I had known as a child. This was an entirely different one, as I recently learned. She was a woman, with cravings and longings just like anyone else, myself included. Put that together with her sexy figure, surprisingly beautiful eyes, and mind that even I felt threatened by(though I will never admit that aloud), and she was, dare I say it, _perfect_.

I felt myself damn near willed to say it. _Blossom, I love you._ Say it Brick, just say it! You know you want to, you've been wanting to for a while now. Just say it!

My thoughts suddenly were all jumbled as she slipped the pink and black vertical striped tee off, revealing a rather sexy black bra beneath. "New purchase?" I inquired, eyeing the intricate lace.

"Saving it for a special occasion."

My lips found hers once more, the carnal of the desire starting to get the better of us as she actually began to nibble on my neck and ear. My hands gripped at the wood of the bed, my fingertips leaving permanent intends in the headboard. I won't lie . . . Blossom really knew how to treat a guy. I fought back with every ounce of my might not to whimper at the sheer erotic bliss of her touch, her fingers tracing my back under my shirt.

In the midst of it all, she somehow wriggled from the weight of my body on top of hers, suddenly now on top of me as she kissed me fiercely and passionately. I allowed myself to get lost in the heat and intense hunger of our lust as it practically steamed up the room. She giggled as I shifted, sitting up to remove my own shirt.

As I allowed her to dominate over me, which was surprisingly a lot sexier than most would think, she watched me ease down on the bed, her fingers tracing the line of my abs all the way to the belt of my jeans. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, I am still a Powerpuff to everyone. This doesn't bother you?"

"Aren't I supposed to be the one worrying about your second thoughts? You're the innocent one, I'm the _Rowdyruff_." She pressed her lips once to mine. "Besides, when have you ever met a man willing to turn _down_ sex?"

She giggled, the sweet innocent giggle I was loved. "Touché," Blossom said before allowing herself to return to her past actions.

Her fingers left my belt untouched and she let her lips trace from my collar bone to my abs. I had never felt so overpowered by a woman in my entire life, and if this was what it felt like, I would allow it to happen all the time.

Now it was my time to play dominate in the little game of Cat and Mouse. She gasped as I flipped her over like nothing, my knees rested on either side of her waist as I sat on top of her. Blossom laughed, sexy and yet childlike; the sound was like fuel for my hunger. As her arms snaked around my neck, pulling my lips back to hers, the voice in my head sounded again. "TELL HER YOU LOVE HER!" the voice screamed . . . my own voice this time. "BE A FUCKING MAN AND TELL HER!"

I lifted my head a bit, giving her better access to my neck as she kissed me in ways that even I thought were just too unclean to be legal, and my whole body tingled with emotions and feelings I couldn't begin to put into words. "Blossom," I said through short gasps, pulling back to look at those stunning pink eyes.

"Yeah?" she asked, her face serious though her eyes were screaming for me to shut up and enjoy this.

I pressed my lips quickly to hers, before I started to speak. "I . . ." _DO IT, PUSSY! YOU FUCKING PANSY! DO IT NOW!_

Blossom was smart, she could easily tell what I was struggling to say. Her eyes went huge, waiting for me to finish. "You what?" I couldn't interpret the look in her eyes. And the thought worried me. Was she eager to hear them, or scared?

I swallowed my pride like a big pill and started again. "Blossom, I lo─"

The world went hazy, thick and black like night had suddenly fallen upon me in the blink of an eye.

"Brick? Baby, what's wrong?" I heard Blossom's voice, pulling me slowly through the ominous darkness.

"_What the fuck is going on?" _I thought. As if I were under someone's control, my body went rigid over hers.

"_Shh," _a voice said that was not my own. It sounded feminine, and almost as if it weren't even there to begin with._ "Brick, my dear. I wanted you to kill her, not fall in love with her. Oh, no, no, no. This won't do." _I knew this voice, I had come across it a time or two in my years as a villain.

"_Sedusa?"_ What the fuck was going on? "_What the hell did you do to me?_" It was as if suddenly I had an out of body experience. I could see myself, staring at Blossom as I straddled her, my eyes glazed over. "_Blossom! That's not me!"_ I struggled to scream, to get my voice out from my own mouth, but I remained still, unspeaking.

"Brick, what's wrong? Say something!" Blossom said, struggling to slip out from under me. "Brick, come on, baby. What's wrong?"

As if on its own, my body moved, getting off her and standing a few yards away from the bed, the hazy red eyes scowling at her. I could see Sedusa standing beside me, er, him? Her arm rested on his shoulder, as if she were leaning casually against a statue. And that is, exactly what I was, a statue. I stood beside her, nearly glaring at Blossom with the somber stance and façade of a military recruit.

"_Blossom! Don't go near it! It's not me!"_ I screamed, though no amount of energy I put out was enough to get through.

Evidently she couldn't see Sedusa, her eyes locked on the empty shell that was once me. Sedusa didn't seem scared, or even worried in the least about Blossom catching her. She stroked a strand of my short, ear length hair, brushing it back in a rather creepy, though motherly way. "_Brick, tsk-tsk, you've caused quite a bit of trouble for me. You were supposed to stay hating her, not in fact, fall in love with her?" _She laughed, finding the very idea ridiculous. "_I am stunned though. I never, in my wildest years, would have seen this . . ."_ her hand gestured to the half-naked woman before them and back to my empty body. "_A Powerpuff girl and a Rowdyruff about to commit the most precious of acts, the giving of body to each other. Good and evil having sex!" _Another manic laugh._ "Well, this certainly gives a whole new meaning to sleeping with the enemy." _

"_Get away from her you crazy bitch!" _ I screamed.

Sedusa stared at me, my soul-like thing at least and shook her finger. "_Now, now, wait your turn_." She turned her attention back to me, my body still staring silently at a nervous and rather scared Blossom (now fully clothed). She leaned in, her lips inches from my ear. "_Kill. Her. . . ."_ she whispered.

"_NO!"_ I roared, just as my own body roared, his hands lifting up as bright scarlet red energy ball formed in his hands, aimed directly at Blossom.

Her eyes went huge, staring at my body like she was seeing something she would never expect. The energy balls came at her, and she flew up, nearly missing them. "Brick! What the hell are you doing?" she said, tears slowly building up in her eyes.

Sedusa stepped back to watch the show. She turned her attention back to me briefly. "_You,"_ she snapped. "_can watch your precious Powerpuff be killed by, well,_ _you_." She chuckled manically as she faded into the darkness.

"Brick, stop!" Blossom begged, dodging lasers and energy balls. "I don't want to hurt you!"

"I'm going to kill you," my body said, sounding like me, though in some ways, not like me. There was a certain hollowness to my tone, but the voice was all mine. Blossom would never know the difference had she not been listening intently.

The empty shell that was my body was faster than the evidently hesitant Blossom, hitting her with a ball of energy and sending her flying through the wall of the cabin and into a thick oak tree about ten yards from the door. She slammed against it with an ear splitting sound that could only be described as bones snapping, though she only fell to the ground and coughed. I watched as the tree leaned away from her, the tree having been the one to suffer the most damage.

Tears slid down her face as she closed her eyes and shot a pink energy ball from her closely held hands, shooting it into the cabin and the building imploding with a cry of straining wood and steel. She watched it a moment, being certain it was over before having collapsed to her knees and she sobbed into her hands. I turned and watched the sawdust and pink sparkles fill the air where the cabin once stood. _Holy shit, am I dead? _

The sound of shifting wood planks brought her attention up, staring at the figure arising from the settling dust. "Brick?" she said softly, her tears getting more evident by the second.

My body stepped out from the collapsed building, staring at her with glowing eyes. Sedusa stood not too far from Blossom, frowning at the scene. "_Damn, she still isn't dead yet?"_ she critiqued, sounding both disappointed and bored.

I couldn't bear this, my heart nearly gave out as I watched the scene unfold. With all the energy I had, I let out a scream that would put any battle cry to shame, all the pain in my soul evident as it came out. "No!" I yelled as I groaned, my soul suddenly snapping into my body, but not before I saw the stunned Sedusa watch my doing so.

My body suddenly screamed with me, my control over it apparently being restored, and I fell to my knees in agony. Ragged pants escaped my lips, my chest heaving as I breathed.

"Brick?" Blossom snapped, standing up now as she slowly approached me, or so I could tell from my peripheral vision.

I struggled to lift my head, but my body was too worn out to move, and I collapsed to the ground. "Blossom," I got out, but not without effort. "It wasn't─"

But she silenced me, her crying form suddenly shoving a thick, bitter liquid down my throat before she took a giant step back. "Stay down, and stay back!"

With every ounce in my being, I forced my body to get to my knees once more, and I suddenly could hardly see her in the darkness. Why wasn't my night vision working? "Blossom? Where are you? I can't see you."

Her soft footsteps approached, the crunching of old, dead leaves beneath her feet. "Antidote-X, always keep a small vial for protection."

"Y-You . . . you stripped me of my powers?"

"Temporarily, just until you can be cuffed and thrown into the special penitentiary the Professor developed for Townsville Prison." The icy, professional tone of her voice cut me like no blade could compare. If she had been crying, I couldn't see it or hear it any longer. "No one comes after me, ever," she whispered just loud enough that I could barely hear it.

The sound of what could only be described as a mob approaching suddenly filled the air around me. Goddamn, I never realized how much I had been seeing with my hearing and sight. I felt like a blind man in the woods. Though, the moonlight did offer some assistance, giving me a chance to at least see a partially detailed silhouette of Blossom, as well as the approaching camp counselors.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Bill, the Rent-A-Cop asked, his tone dark and husky in that "I'm the boss of you" kinda way.

"I need your cuffs, Bill," Blossom said, but not without strain. "Brick is going to need a ride back to Townsville."

"But-"

"No 'buts', Officer. Give me the cuffs and take him in or I will!" she barked, her voice sounding oddly demonic, though I could sense without trouble it was her way of covering up the betrayal. "Now!"

Rent-A-Cop hesitated, staring between me, Blossom, and the destroyed cabin before I heard the shifting of handcuffs from one hand to another. She came around me, slapping the cuffs with force onto my wrists. "Blossom, baby please," I murmured, struggling not to groan at the ache, well, everywhere.

I could faintly hear her heart beat, the last remnants of my powers working. I could also hear something else . . . her heart breaking. She sighed deeply, a rather hollow sound coming from her chest. "Bill, can you load him up in the car? I'm gonna get his shit together. I'll call Buttercup so Butch can come gather his belongings. You get him back to Townsville and I'll meet up with you in an hour."

"Blossom, please . . . Don't do this."

She slapped the last cuff on my hand, and I couldn't hold back the groan at the force of her attitude. "Get him out of here," she muttered.

With her strength, she pulled me roughly to my feet and shoved me in the direction of Rent-A-Cop. All watched, Bill, Seraphina, Kyle, Michelle, hell, I was fairly certain all the counselors stood around us as Blossom forcefully pushed past them and bolted back for camp, nothing but her incandescent pink streak left behind.

"What the fuck did you do?" Michelle said, bringing everyone's attention back to me.

I couldn't speak, my head hanging low as someone threw what I could only guess what a shirt at me, not that I was able to catch it. Shit, I hadn't even realized my shirt was still in the rubble. "Let's go, Jojo," Rent-A-Cop said, sounding as if he were having a hard time deciding if he were being punked or not. "You're in a heap of trouble."

As if my body were clouding my pain for me, I felt my temper rise and heart race. I forcefully shook his hand off me, making him jump nervously and go into full cop mode. "Get your meat hooks off me," I snapped.

"Watch it, punk," he retorted.

As we approached the clearing of the main campsite, I could see much clearer now, the moonlight and camp buildings giving me much assistance. Blossom stood at the window of the main building, watching me as she held a clipboard in her hand. The look in her eyes, pain and betrayal . . . Pain I was all too used to causing, but not this sort of pain. This was just, unbearable. I couldn't take the look of hurt in her eyes. With all the strength I had, I tore my eyes away from her, struggling to not let my rising anger get the better of me.

My breath came in rapid pants, and I was ready to just let it all out on the first thing to irritate me. She didn't listen to me, she didn't give me a chance to explain. She gave up on me . . . well, I guess that's what happens when you lay all your attention and hope on a Powerpuff girl. This . . . _her_ . . . was truly the biggest mistake of my life.


	14. Chapter 13: Renegotiation

Brick's POV:

Of course it had been Sedusa . . . why hadn't I seen it before? This was a game of emotion, of love and hate . . . Sedusa fed of that! She used her telepathy to get into our heads, to mess with us. It explains the sudden headaches, and Blossom's incredibly strange behavior last week. She wanted us to stop falling in love . . . so she caused physical pain, to distract us from our feelings. Mine especially. I wanted to hit myself, strangle myself right now, for not having seen it before. Years of training to detect simple shit like that, to put the simple pieces of the puzzle together, all down the drain because my feelings for Blossom clouded my logic.

"Jojo, Brick," the police guard called to me, though I had been the only one in the special containment ray contraption.

"Yes," I replied as I rose from the bed, my voice hollow and lifeless.

"You're attorney is here," he said, holding the door of the specially altered cell for me. "If you try anything, I'll have Miss Utonium shove another bottle of that antidote stuff down your throat."

"Blossom's here?"

"Yes," he said, wondering how that could possibly be relevant. Without thinking, I turned back around and sat at the edge of my bed. "What are you doing Jojo? Get off your ass and let's go."

"Not if she's anywhere within five miles of this place," I muttered. Of course I realized my actions were a bit childish, I couldn't seem to shake the attitude. "Tell my attorney to come in or he can just leave."

The guard groaned, muttering under his breath that I was an ungrateful little punk. "Suit yourself, Jojo," and he stormed away.

"Call me Jojo one more time and I'll show you how much pent up anger I have!" I yelled after him angrily.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, or so that's what I assumed. Though my powers were slowly starting to come back since my mishap an hour or so ago, they were still at a great disadvantage from what I was used to.

I threw my head into the pillow, groaning and fighting with all my might to mentally wipe away all of the images of pained pink eyes, and betrayed loves. "Fuck you, Brick," I muttered to myself. "You don't love fucking anything. You're a Rowdyruff, get used to it."

"Do you honestly believe that 'evil knows no love' stuff?" a voice said from the door, startling me.

I looked up from the pillow, meeting the blue eyes of Mr. Anderson. "Don't you? Everyone else seems to."

He opened the door of the cell, the orange energy wall around it slowly forming around the door after it shut. "I think that anyone that has to tell themselves they don't love someone can certainly feel love. The very fact you're so adamantly trying to deny it illustrates your heart has been taken. Well, in this case, broken."

"You don't know shit."

With a careless shrug he settled himself on the chair that had been put in there for me when I first arrived. "If you say so," he said simply as he opened the briefcase to retrieve my file. "Now, would you care to explain what transpired this evening?"

"Not particularly."

Mr. Anderson sighed, shutting the folder before he crossed his arms. "So what exactly do you plan for me to do to help you if you don't tell me what happened?"

You wouldn't believe me if I told you. "I know exactly what I want to do . . ."

* * *

><p>Omniscient POV:<p>

Butch sauntered into the living room of the small apartment over Billy Robert's Mechanic Shop, the place he was condemned to work for three months of his six month sentence. He stood there, nothing but jade green cotton sweats, watching the way Buttercup shifted awkwardly from one foot to another as she prattled on the phone. He could help but admire the way her milky legs looked as his eyes traveled up her figure, taking in the way she was too sexy for her own good in his oversized white and green pinstripe button down, her hair slightly disheveled.

"Yes, yes, I understand," Buttercup said to the man on the phone. "Yes, thank you for calling."

She hung up, staring into the nothingness as she lightly tapped the phone to the palm of her hand awkwardly. Butch took a bite of his apple, waiting for her to say something. "What's up, babe?"

She jumped, startled, turning to meet his eyes. "That was Mr. Anderson," she started.

Butch went rigid, wondering if maybe he were in trouble for something . . . like being in a secret relationship with a Powerpuff girl. "What did he say?"

"Brick's turning himself over. He is taking the three years of jail time." As if he wasn't stunned before, he was stone now. The apple in his hand dropped mid-bite, as he stared at her with huge eyes. "His trial is at nine. We have an hour to get over there."

"Why would he do that?" Butch asked breathlessly, his hand slowly lowering. "He's the one that tried to get us this deal to begin with."

Buttercup set the phone on the base and went to wrap her arms around Butch. He let himself enjoy the embrace briefly before his seriousness returned. "I don't know what's going on. Mr. Anderson didn't say what happened, but he says it didn't look good. Brick didn't want his help. He just wanted to turn himself in and get as far away from her as possible."

"Her? Her who?"

She shrugged. "Didn't say. That's all Brick would tell him." Buttercup quickly pressed her lips to his before she started for the bedroom. "I'm gonna get dressed. You should too. Mr. Anderson is calling Bubbles as we speak so they will meet us at the courthouse." Butch was silent, staring into space as he tried to contemplate who the "she" had been. "Butch, you alright, babe?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." He followed her into the bedroom, silently slipping out of his sweats and into jeans as Buttercup changed in the closet. "Hey, you don't think that the 'she' is Blossom is it?"

"Possibly, but I've never known Brick to _run away _from Blossom. If anything, he's always _looking_ for a way to mess with her." Buttercup returned, buckling the belt of her jeans and smoothing out her lime green skull top. "Three years in jail isn't the smartest way to do that."

Butch stopped to contemplate that, his arms through the holes of his shirt, mid-way through putting it on. "I'm just wondering if maybe something happened. They've been acting really strange. She's been nice, he has too. He even corrected me on calling her Pinky on that first conversation. 'It's Blossom, not Pinky' he said to me." He slipped his shirt on, letting it fall down on its own as he thought. "I don't know, something's weird."

"Well you can ask him when we see him. Maybe Boomer will know something."

"Maybe," he muttered to himself as he wrapped his arm around Buttercup, the two silently walking out to the courthouse.

xxx

"Goddammit, where the hell is Blossom?" Buttercup inquired as the four remaining super teens sat in the court room, her eyes darting around the room frantically as people filed in. "And who the fuck are all these people? I don't know a single person!"

"What's camp Mohawk?" Boomer added, taking notice that many of them had shirts saying Camp Mohawk Counselor.

"Isn't that the camp they were staying at?"

"I think your right Bubbles," Buttercup said with a mild relief. If the counselors had been there, then Blossom had to have been somewhere, perhaps in the back with Brick.

Just as she spoke, the side door opened and Brick was brought in, hands cuffed behind his back as he was lead to the defendant's seat.

"Hey bro," Butch and Boomer said to him in hushed whispers. Though they were in the row right behind his space, he didn't turn to them, or make eye contact with them of any kind, his eyes still dead and lifeless.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Butch snapped.

"I . . . I don't think he heard you," Boomer struggled to get out, his bewilderment having gotten the best of him. "How is that possible?"

"Antidote-X," Bubbles and Buttercup said in hollow whispers. They exchanged a look, and Buttercup's eyes wandered once more around the room. "No sign of Blossom," she muttered.

Butch rested his hand on her knee discretely, squeezing it to comfort her. His touch was certainly enough to do so, for the green eyed Puff smiled up at him and leaned ever so slightly against his arm.

"All rise!" the bailiff cried.

Everyone was quick to rise and sit as the judge made his way to the oversized podium. "So where is Miss Utonium?"

"Hell I hope," they heard Brick mutter to himself.

"I'm here!" she said, swiftly but carelessly making her way from the main door to the plaintiff's side.

"Shit," Brick muttered once more.

Blossom settled herself, nothing in her hands, dressed as properly as possible in her counselor's uniform. Brick stood opposite from her in his still dingy, dusty dark blue jeans, a dark green shirt having replaced the one he left in the rubble. His brothers were quick to take notice of it.

Tension practically imploded the room as the duo gave each other once quick glance, eyes full of hate and betrayal.

Buttercup was quick to sense that something was amiss among their feuding siblings, something worse than the norm. "This is not good . . ."


	15. Chapter 14: The Trial

Omniscient POV:

The four watched as neither leader made eye contact with each other, one looking too serious to be good, the other too angry. "What the fuck is going on?" Butch whispered to Buttercup. All she could do was give a perplexed shrug, having not been to certain of details herself.

"So, Mr. Jojo," the judge ignored the way he glared at the use of his last name. "It would appear that this was too difficult for you. Temper get the best of you?" the judge said sarcastically.

Brick only stared straight, his eyes dead and lifeless as he stared at a hole in the wall. Blossom was all too aware of the temper getting worse within her counterpart at the judge's ignorance. "Your honor, with all due respect . . . if we could keep this respectful and haste, that would be much appreciated."

He sent a brief glare in her direction before he nodded. "Very well." He turned his attention back to the scowling Brick. "So, would you care to explain what happened this evening for the court?"

"Are those bruises on him?" Bubbles murmured for the group as she took notice of black and blue marks on his arms.

"No, sir," Brick managed to get out without snapping.

"Hmm, very well. How about you, Miss Utonium? Would you please be a little more helpful and explain what transpired this evening?"

There was an evident hesitation in her actions, that her sisters easily caught sight, before she spoke. "Well . . . we were in the woods, at the custodian's cabin─"

"What is the custodian's cabin exactly?"

"It's a special cabin about a quart mile from the main campgrounds, your honor. Put there for the groundskeeper who comes down every first and last week of the summer to be certain things are set for the kids and the winter. It's just a small cabin so that should he need more than a day to work on the grounds he had shelter of his own for the duration of his stay."

"And might I ask what you and Mr. Jojo were doing there?"

Her hesitation grew all the more evident. "That's rather personal, your honor. I would prefer to remain silent of what events transpired in relation to that."

The judge gave an uncaring shrug and waved his hand mindlessly for her to resume. "Proceed, Miss Utonium."

Blossom took a deep breath before she spoke. "Well, while we were in the cabin, Brick, I don't know for certain, but he just went silent and still. At first I thought he might be sick or something was wrong, but eventually he just attacked me."

Bubbles and her sister gasped, staring back at a motionless Brick. But there was something different about him now, his head almost hung, his eyes glazed over, as if he were in remorse or even anguish. They turned back to their sister as they watched her proceed on with the story.

"Attacked you in what way?"

"With his powers, sir. Energy balls that we are able to . . . conjure, I suppose you could say."

He blinked, bewildered. "I recall your powers, I had not been aware that Mr. Jojo and his brothers had been in possession of them as well."

"They possess about ninety percent of our powers, sir. But anyway, as I was saying, he shot them at me. Eventually he hit me enough to send me flying through the wall of the cabin."

Butch and Boomer were frozen in stunned states, staring at their brother with a look of betrayal. Bubbles and Buttercup were at a crossroads, struggling to decide to be fearful and sympathetic for their sister, or hateful and well, hateful, to Brick for his actions.

"And what happened next?"

They heard her breath catch in her throat, and a brief look of vulnerability cross her features. "I . . . I fired back. With enough force to collapse the cabin."

"Was Mr. Jojo inside?"

"Yes, your honor. It was self-defense," she added in an almost dead tone. "But he reemerged from the rubble and then, I don't know, he just collapsed. He tried to talk, but he was weak, from my actions I assume. And he acted as if he did nothing wrong. Before he could do anything else, I shoved a vial of Antidote-X down his throat and stripped him temporarily of his powers. Just so Bill, his parole guard, to transport him back to Townsville Prison."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, your honor," she said, almost breathlessly.

The judge turned his attention from the pain stricken Brick, who was trying desperately to conceal it. "And what do you have to say about all of this, son?"

"I never hurt her, I wouldn't hurt her."

The four teens stared at him, taking in the way his tone had sounded so serious and genuine, but his words all wrong. Had he really just admitted to that?

"Brick, don't lie to him. You're a Rowdyruff, you slipped up."

"Bullshit!" he snapped at Blossom, looking at her for the first time since she entered the room. "You know I wouldn't hurt you!"

"But you did, Brick! Not even three hours ago! Did the Antidote-X wipe out your memories along with your powers?" Blossom fought back as hard as she could to not let the tears slide down her face.

"I didn't do shit! That crazy bitch Sedusa did some fucking voodoo shit! She possessed me or something! She told me to kill you, I had no fucking control over it!"

"Bullshit!" Blossom shrilled, her tears now evident to the entire courtroom. "Sedusa's been dead for two years! Besides, she didn't even have that power to begin with."

"Blossom, you know I wouldn't hurt you. We've gone this far and you still don't trust me enough to know I wouldn't hurt you?"

By this point, the two were practically pressed against each other, scowling like there was a damn contest for it, while they screamed loud enough to be heard in China. The court, even the judge, was frozen in utter astonishment as they watched the scene unfold.

"I used to trust you! Then you did this . . . I always suspected you were a Rowdyruff deep down. I was stupid enough to think I could make you change!" She crossed her arms as she turned to walk away.

Brick's powers slowly had been returning, but they weren't quite at their fullest potential yet. It didn't matter to him; with every ouch of his being, he practically channeled his power to allow him to snap the cuffs, causing half the audience to shriek as the thick steel snapped like nothing. Even Blossom jumped slightly as Brick grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to meet his angered eyes.

"Don't walk away from me!" He gripped her arms tight, but the strength hardly fazed this Powerpuff. The bailiff started to charge as the judged banged his gavel, calling for order. "I swear Blossom, I wouldn't hurt you! You know that! I love you!"

The entire room froze as his words registered in their heads. Blossom stayed rigid in his grip, watching as his eyes told no lie . . . he was being solemn and honest. "You . . . what?"

His expression softened as he realized he had gotten through to her. "I do, I have since the first time I kissed you. Hell, before that. I tried to tell you tonight, I really did, but then Sedusa did whatever the fuck that mind thing she did on me was and all of _this_ happened!" he said, waving his arms around the room aimlessly. "The Rowdyruff in me died long ago, he died the day he fell in love with you. I couldn't have hurt you Blossom, not of my own accord at least."

Their siblings stared at them, eyes huge and brains hurting from the information overload. "Okay, okay, hold on a minute!" Butch said as he stood up, ignoring Buttercup's muted objections. "Bro, are you telling me you fell in love with a Powerpuff girl? What the fuck, man!"

Brick stared at his both bewildered and irritated brother. "Yes, Butch. I have. I'm sorry for betraying you."

"Betray my ass! So you're fucking telling me I've been feeling guilty as shit for being with Buttercup the past few weeks and the entire time you've been out gallivanting with your own Powerpuff? What the fuck kinda of hypocrisy is that!"

The audience gasped at the sudden declaration, Buttercup slouching in her seat as her no longer secret boyfriend so bluntly came out about it. Blossom stared at her sister in utter shock. "BC, you've been dating Butch and you didn't tell me?"

"You're not one to talk Miss Perfect!" Buttercup said as she stood up beside Butch. "You didn't tell me or Bubbles about your whole love affair with the leader of them to begin with!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's be calm about this!" Bubbles chimed in, her arms raised in a motion to relax.

"Be quiet, Bubbles!" they snapped in harmony.

"Hey, don't get snippy with her because you're pissed at each other! This isn't her fault!" Boomer said, his arm instinctively pushing Bubbles behind him. It was then that they all registered what his actions meant.

"You too?" the four replied in sync.

Bubbles winced and sighed, sneaking a peak over Boomer's shoulder. "Okay, okay! So . . . Boomer and I have been dating since July. It's not a big deal!"

The audience was in an uproar of gasps and fainting spells. The information was too much to bear for these people. The bickering started between the teens, mostly the Powerpuffs. The bailiff and the judge exchanged looks of utter mystification as they tried to decide what to do with the situation. With a hard pound of his gavel, the chattering court room and bickering teens went silent.

"Alright, now evidently we have had some . . . miscommunications. But, we are still in the middle of a case. As I to assume this little revelation between you Mr. Jojo and Miss Utonium will null and void the trial?"

Blossom stared at a smiling Brick, contemplating what to do. "I . . ." he waited, getting a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I suppose it does."

"Then who is to blame for the assault on you Miss Utonium?"

"Well, for the time being, it's is unknown. I suppose these claims of Sedusa will have to be looked into."

"So you believe me?" Brick chimed in, his eyes hopeful.

a small smile played at the edge of her lips, cheeks turning just a shade pinker. "I wouldn't put it past you to tell the truth every now and then."

The judge stared between the two as they gazed lovingly at each other. It was almost scary to see a Rowdyruff do it, but adorable at the same time. "Riiight, well, uh," he cleared his throat and banged his gavel. "Case dismissed!" With a stunned head shake he walked out without waiting for the bailiff to say all must rise.

With a childlike squeal, Blossom threw her arms around Brick's neck, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I just─"

"You assumed I went back to the ways I'd known all my life," he finished for her. Pulling back to look at her, he smiled and kissed her forehead. "But I've told you already, that part of me is dead. Gone. I love you, Blossom."

A tear escaped her eye and she sniffed. "I love you too, Brick." Without hesitation, she pressed her lips to his forcefully, only to be interrupted by their staring siblings. She hopped out of his arms and smiled apologetically. "Right, so uh . . . explaining time right?"

They greens crossed their arms defiantly, while the Blues were a mix of hesitation and sanctification. "You lied to us," Butch said for the group.

"Hey, don't start that shit! You are just as a fault Butch. You didn't tell me you cavorting with her sister, as did Boomer in reference to Bubbles. I didn't see you so quickly jump the gun and admit to being with her."

"Because I didn't want to let you down! My brothers always come first!"

"As with my sister," Buttercup added.

Brick and Blossom exchanged a look, knowing that their siblings did have a relevant point. "That's true, but this was just a little more complicated that any of us intended. None of us planned for this, so, what I suggest is forgetting who is to blame and offering one big happy congratulations to the bunch of us!" Blossom's false peace recommendation was quickly shot down with glares from all but Bubbles, who nodded vigorously in agreement.

"This is not going to go away," Butch said.

"Butch, stand down," Brick ordered. Unwillingly, the superiority in Brick's voice made Butch flinch a bit, his crossed arms falling to his sides in submission. "We're sorry we didn't tell you. But how do you think we felt? Being the leaders of these groups and having to tell our teams we made a peace treaty that we thought neither of you would approve of? It's no different. We didn't want to disappoint you, or be just as disappointed should you not approve."

Buttercup took his words into consideration before she softly touched Butch's forearm. "Butch, he has a point. It's basically what we feared too. We didn't want to let them down, and they didn't want to make us feel like we were stuck with their commitments. Let's just put it to rest, it's over. They know, so please, let's just put this to rest."

He stared down at her, his eyes practically glowing with anger. He took notice of the plea in her eyes and slowly wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Fine," he murmured softly.

"So, we straight bro?" Brick asked.

There was a moment's hesitation on Butch's part, a nervousness building within Buttercup as she waited for him to speak. "We straight."

Brick stared at his "youngest" brother and nodded once. "What about us, Boomer?"

With a quick breath of defeat, he nodded and kissed the side of Bubbles head as she giggled gleefully. "We're straight," he muttered.

"Can we go home now? I'm still really fucking sore from tonight. Sedusa controlled me into trying to kill you, but I feel the effects of a cabin falling on me."

Blossom smiled, suppressing a laugh. "Okay, let's get back to camp. I'm sure Maddie will be eager to see you in the morning."

"Who's Maddie?" their siblings questioned in sync.

She shook her head and smiled. "Long story . . ." and without another word, the three couples made their way out of the now empty courtroom and parted ways, relief and revelation burning in their minds and hearts.


	16. Chapter 15: Aftermath

**Just put the last two chapters up at once because this one kinda raps it up. If you didn't see the double update, STOP HERE! go back and read chapter 14! That's where all the juicy stuff happens. :D Thanks! Enjoy!**

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><p>Brick stood beside me the following morning, looking rather gorgeous with his freshly cut hair, looking identical to his cut the first day of camp. His face was nearly aglow with delight as he wrapped his arms around my waist, chin rested on my right shoulder as we lingered just inside the main gate of the campgrounds, waiting for the morning counselors to bring the sixty kids to the gate for the group hike.<p>

"You look rather chipper this morning," I remarked casually.

"I feel it! Beautiful morning with my beautiful girlfriend, things just couldn't be more . . . more . . ."

"Beautiful?" I teased.

He laughed, the sound muffled by his lips on my skin. "Exactly." He pulled up partially to speak. "After everything that happened yesterday, everything that came to light, the very fact that we emerged from that without loss of blood or sanity makes me feel like we just conquered death."

"To be technical, we nearly did. You tried to kill me remember?" He frowned, not wanting to be remembered. "Well, Sedusa did at least. How come I still have yet to see her?"

"She's seen you," he muttered. "And she's not too happy about it."

"We'll have to deal with her . . . soon."

"My sentiments exactly," he replied just before the kids rushed over to us, well, our group of kids mostly.

"Brick!" Maddie cried as she threw herself into his arms, Brick easily catching her and letting her hug him like it was their last day together.

"Oh, Maddie, it's great to see you!" he said softly as he stroked her platinum blonde hair.

She pulled back partially from the embrace, her arms never leaving his neck as she spoke. "Dey said you were gone! Dat you weft! Were you gonna weave wifout saying goodbye?"

"I was gone. But I'm not going anywhere anymore, I promise."

She was practically beaming with excitement as she committed his promise to memory before she allowed herself to enjoy the embrace once more. Brick couldn't hold back the smile as he watched me greet each eager face. "Alright, questions can be answered tonight at the after hike campfire. Are we ready kids?"

All broke into chants of excitement and giggles. Maddie wriggled free of Brick's hold and went to follow the oldest kids that had been gathering their bags. Brick's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close as he flashed a smile that was filled with every ounce of love and passion my heart held. Instinctively, my arms went around his at the same moment, I felt an exuberant grin spreading across my face. Nothing was said, though kisses were not out of the questions. Our lips met, soft and gentle at first, but growing more passionate with each second.

Eventually, to my great reluctance, with both pulled back a little breathless. Brick's warm lips brushed against my ear as he murmured seductively, "I love you."

My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help grinning as I pulled back to meet the gaze of his enticing magma red eyes. "I love you too," I said without hesitation. No words had ever sounded so true, or so right to say.

Neither could have predicted this before this experience. We would have called you crazy at such an accusation. But now, after everything that had transpired, I couldn't picture life as it was. It was a distant dream, something I couldn't even picture being actuality. This was the new reality, a reality that was filled with love, compassion, and a bit of rowdiness on occasion. It was perfect, and I didn't want it any other way.

As his grin grew at the words I had just murmured, our lips met once more, and we lost themselves in the best kiss they'd ever shared.

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><p><strong>Well, that's it! D: It's over already? *cries* I have grown very fond of this story. I did enjoy writing this greatly. And I am going to miss writing and updating this.<strong>

**Now, as for the questions and requests of my writing something along these lines for the other two duos, I do have intentions to write them eventually, but not for quite some time. Too many things are on my plate. But fear not! The ideas are written down and saved for the day I do eventually get to them. :D Thanks for sticking around! I love you guys! :D Feel free to read my other PPG stuff, I got plenty of it! I hope you liked this! **

**Bye! **

**Love, ****megmeg999**


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